| Issue |
A&A
Volume 531, July 2011
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | A157 | |
| Number of page(s) | 38 | |
| Section | Interstellar and circumstellar matter | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201116804 | |
| Published online | 06 July 2011 | |
The VMC survey
II. A multi-wavelength study of LMC planetary nebulae and their mimics⋆,⋆⋆
1
Centre for Astrophysics Research, STRI, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane Campus, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
2 South African Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa
3 Southern African Large Telescope Foundation, PO Box 9, Observatory, 7935, South Africa
e-mail: brent@saao.ac.za
4
University Observatory Munich, Scheinerstrasse 1, 81679 München, Germany
5
Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium
6
School of Physical & Geographical Sciences, Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK
7
Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warsaw, Poland
Received: 1 March 2011
Accepted: 28 May 2011
The VISTA Magellanic Cloud (VMC) survey is assembling a deep, multi-epoch atlas of YJKs photometry across the Magellanic Clouds. Prior to the VMC survey only the brightest Magellanic Cloud PNe (MCPNe) were accessible at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. It is now possible for the first time to assemble the NIR properties of MCPNe and to identify contaminating non-PNe mimics which are best revealed at NIR wavelengths (e.g. HII regions and symbiotic stars). To maintain the unique scientific niche that MCPNe occupy these contaminants must be removed. Here we conduct a VMC-led, multi-wavelength study of 102 objects previously classified as PNe that are located within the first six VMC tiles observed. We present images, photometry, lightcurves, diagnostic colour − colour diagrams and spectral energy distributions used to analyse the entire sample. At least five PNe have newly resolved nebula morphologies, a task previously only possible with the HST. A total of 45/67 (67%) objects catalogued by Reid & Parker (RP) were reclassified as non-PNe, most of which were located in the vicinity of 30 Doradus. This sample included 16 field stars, 5 emission line stars, 19 HII regions, 4 symbiotic star candidates and 1 young stellar object. We discuss possible selection effects responsible for their inclusion in the RP catalogue and the implications for binary central star surveys targeting LMC PNe. A total of five new LMC symbiotic star candidates were identified, compared to eight previously known, underlining the important role the VMC survey will have in advancing Magellanic symbiotic star studies.
Key words: planetary nebulae: general / stars: AGB and post-AGB / binaries: symbiotic / Magellanic Clouds
Based on observations made with VISTA at Paranal Observatory under program ID 179.B-2003 and the Wide Field Imager of the Max-Planck-ESO 2.2 m telescope at La Silla Observatory under programs 066.B-0553, 68.C-0019(A) and 076.C-0888.
Appendices A and B are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
© ESO, 2011
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