A possible observational measure of evolution in bipolar nebulae

Instituto de Astronomia y Meteorologia, Avenida Vallarta No. 2602, Col. Arcos Vallarta, C.P. 44130 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Corresponding author: jpp@udgserv.cencar.udg.mx

Received: 30 November 2001
Accepted: 4 January 2002

Abstract

Bipolar planetary nebulae (BPNe) possess a broad range of shapes, ranging from narrow-waisted butterfly-like structures, through to those which are more nearly cylindrical. We point out that these morphologies appear to be correlated with radio surface brightness T_b, in the sense that higher values of T_b are associated with envelopes having narrower waists. If one interprets the variation in T_b as arising from shell evolution, as is usually assumed for other planetaries, this would then imply that shell morphology varies with time in a manner which appears not to be consistent with evolutionary models. It also remains possible, however, that different BPNe morphologies arise as a result of differing mechanisms of formation, and that the pre-collimation of high velocity central winds gives rise to narrower waists, and higher surface brightness nuclei. Our results, if this is true, may then imply that central winds possess a broad range of collimations.