Kinematics of the very young nebula N59 at the edge of the supershell LMC4
Abstract
The dynamics of the nebula N59 (B053540-6736), located at the boundary of the supershell LMC4 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, is studied using a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. It is shown that the nebulae NGC 2032 and 2035, which form the bright core of the H II region N59A (B053530-6736), belong to a single H II region which looks divided due to the presence of a heavy dust lane. This bright core presents an expansion motion of 24 km s(-1) . The kinetic energy involved in this motion is of about 1.5 x 10(49) erg. This value is compatible either with a supernova explosion origin or with a formation by the winds of interior massive stars. Since no clear traces of a SN explosion have been found in this nebula and since the stellar content of N59A (B053530-6736) is rich in blue stars, we conclude that these stars, mainly the very massive star HDE 269810 (R122), and probably other stars hidden by the dust lane, are sufficient in providing the wind power to drive the expansion motion. The dust lane seems to be mixed in with the nebular gas and the stars, suggesting a site where star formation may still take place. An extended shell, probably ionized by the star R122, has been detected at the same velocities as the slab, at blueshifted velocity, seen in the foreground absorption. The star R122 contributes to the high excitation of the faint diffuse gas, and perhaps of some farther nebulae. To the East, the SNR 0536-676 remains as a trace of the existence of another massive star which had already exploded. The kinematics of N59B (B053610-6736) which contains the SNR 0536-676, is also studied, corroborating the results of previous studies. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory
- Publication:
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- January 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998A&A...329..631R
- Keywords:
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- ISM: H II REGIONS;
- KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS;
- MAGELLANIC CLOUDS;
- ISM: N59 (LMC)