2016/02/29 by Zhuo Chen, Jason Nordhaus, Adam Frank +2 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Asymptotic giant branch #Binary number #Binary star #Nebula #Physics #Planetary nebula #Primary (astronomy) #Radiative transfer #Spectral energy distribution #Stars #Stellar evolution #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1305
6 pages, 12 figures, submitted to MNRAS
openalex publication_date 2016/06/07 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · arxiv created 2016/10/04 · arxiv updated 2016/10/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Recent observations of the L2 Puppis system suggest that this Mira-like variable may be in the early stages of forming a bipolar planetary nebula. As one of nearest and brightest asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, thought be a binary, L2 Puppis serves as a benchmark object for studying the late-stages of stellar evolution. We perform global, three-dimensional, adaptive-mesh-refinement hydrodynamic simulations of the L2 Puppis system with astrobear. We use the radiative transfer code radmc-|\scriptstyle 3|d to construct the broad-band spectral energy distribution and synthetic observational images from our simulations. Given the reported binary parameters, we are able to reproduce the current observational data if a short pulse of dense material is released from the AGB star with a velocity sufficient to escape the primary but not the binary. Such a situation could result from a thermal pulse, be induced by a periastron passage of the secondary, or could be launched if the primary ingests a planet.