Open AccessDiscovery of an O vi -emitting Nebula around the Hot White Dwarf KPD 0005+5106
Author(s) -
B. Otte,
W. V. Dixon,
Ravi Sankrit
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
the astrophysical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376
H-Index - 489
eISSN - 1538-4357
pISSN - 0004-637X
DOI - 10.1086/421397
Subject(s) - physics , nebula , white dwarf , photoionization , planetary nebula , astrophysics , astronomy , emission nebula , ionization , surface brightness , reflection nebula , interstellar medium , stars , ion , galaxy , quantum mechanics
A survey of diffuse interstellar sight lines observed with the FarUltraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer has led to the serendipitous discovery of ahigh-ionization nebula around the hot white dwarf KPD 0005+5106. The nebula hasan OVI 1032A surface brightness of up to 25,000 photons/s/cm^2/sr, making itthe brightest region of extended OVI emission in our survey. Photoionizationmodels using the incident white dwarf continuum successfully reproduce theobserved OVI intensity. The OVI emission arises in the highly ionized innerregion of a planetary nebula around KPD 0005+5106. This newly discovered nebulamay be one member of a class of high-ionization planetary nebulae that aredifficult to detect in the optical, but which can be easily identified in theultraviolet.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJL, 11 pages including 2 figure
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