X-ray Emission from the Born-Again Planetary Nebula Abell 30
Abstract
The planetary nebula (PN) Abell 30 underwent a very late thermal pulse that resulted in the ejection of knots of hydrogen-poor material. ROSAT detected soft X-ray emission from these knots. We present deep Chandra and XMM-Newton observations that show this X-ray emission to consist of two components: a point-source at the central star and diffuse emission associated with the hydrogen-poor knots and the cloverleaf structure inside the nebular shell. The spatial distribution and spectral properties of the diffuse X-ray emission suggest that it is generated by the shock-heated plasma produced by the interaction of the present stellar wind with the hydrogen-poor ejecta of the born-again event. Charge-exchange reactions between the ions of the stellar winds and the born-again ejecta may also contribute to this emission. The origin of the X-ray emission from the central star of A 30 is puzzling: shocks in the present fast stellar wind and photospheric emission can be ruled out, while the development of a new, compact hot bubble confining the fast stellar wind seems implausible.
- Publication:
-
Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VII
- Pub Date:
- May 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013hsa7.conf..566G