Grand Challenges in Planetary Nebulae Studies: Binary Evolution and MHD
Abstract
We review work on the evolution of planetary nebulae and proto-planetaries via magneto-rotational mechanisms showing that a dynamo generated magnetic field can produce the energy and momentum needed to drive pPN and PNe outflows. Angular momentum considerations lead to the conclusion that single stars can not support strong fields for long times. Thus we take the working hypothesis that most PN may form via binary stars. We propose that the grand challenge for PN studies is fully understanding the diverse physical processes at work in binary late stage evolution including the development of disks, fields and outflows.
- Publication:
-
Planetary Nebulae in our Galaxy and Beyond
- Pub Date:
- 2006
- DOI:
- 10.1017/S1743921306003115
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0606583
- Bibcode:
- 2006IAUS..234..293F
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages. To be published in IAU Symposium #234, "Planetary Nebulae in Our Galaxy and Beyond" proceedings. Text with figures can be found at http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~afrank/frank_pne.pdf