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The Morphological and Structural Classification of Planetary Nebulae

2000/02/03 by A. Manchado, Manchado, A., E. Villaver +6
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0002073

7 pages, to appear in "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae II: from Origins to Microstructures", ASP Conference Series, J.H. Kastner, N. Soker, & S.A. Rappaport, eds

arxiv created 2000/02/03 · openalex publication_date 2000/02/03 · arxiv updated 2016/08/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We present a statistical analysis of a complete sample (255) of northern planetary nebulae (PNe). Our analysis is based on morphology as a main parameter. The major morphological classes are: round (26 % of the sample), elliptical (61 %), and bipolar (13 %) PNe. About a half of the round and 30 % of the elliptical PNe present multiple shells. Round PNe have higher galactic latitude (| b| = 12) and galactic height (<z> = 753 pc), than the elliptical (|b| = 7,<z> = 308 pc) and bipolar (|b| = 3, <z>=179 pc). This possibly implies a different progenitor mass range across morphology, as a different stellar population would suggest.

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