Jump to content

Boomerang Nebula

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Bow-Tie Nebula (C2) in Cepheus, see NGC 40.
Boomerang Nebula
Reflection nebula
Protoplanetary nebula
The Boomerang Nebula, as taken by Hubble Space Telescope in 2003
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension12h 44m 45.45s[1]
Declination−54° 31′ 11.4″[1]
Distance1213±60[1] ly   (372±18[1] pc)
Apparent dimensions (V)1.445′ × 0.724′[1]
ConstellationCentaurus
Physical characteristics
Radius1 ly
DesignationsCentaurus Bipolar Nebula, ESO 172-7, 2MASS J12444609-5431133, LEDA 3074547[1]
See also: Lists of nebulae

The Boomerang Nebula is a protoplanetary nebula[2] located 5,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It is also known as the Bow Tie Nebula and catalogued as LEDA 3074547.[3] Modelling of measurements of outflow of the nebula indicate a temperature less than cosmic microwave background radiation, which makes the outflow the coldest natural place currently known in the Universe.[4][5][6]

The Boomerang Nebula is believed to be a star system evolving toward the planetary nebula phase. It continues to form and develop due to the outflow of gas from its core where a star in its late stage life sheds mass and emits starlight, illuminating dust in the nebula. Millimeter scale dust grains mask portions of the nebula's center, so most escaping visible light is in two opposing lobes forming a distinctive hourglass shape as viewed from Earth. The outflowing gas is moving outwards at a speed of about 164 km/s and expanding rapidly as it moves out into space; this gas expansion results in the nebula's unusually low temperature.

Keith Taylor and Mike Scarrott called it the "Boomerang Nebula" in 1980 after observing it with the Anglo-Australian telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory. Unable to view it with great clarity, the astronomers saw merely a slight asymmetry in the nebula's lobes, suggesting a curved shape like a boomerang. The nebula was photographed in detail by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998, revealing a more symmetrical hourglass shape.

In 1995, using the 15-metre Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope in Chile, astronomers found carbon monoxide (CO) molecules produced from the star of the nebula, which outflow as a gas wind that were colder than the local outer space. [a] Thermal transfer of radiation from outer space into the CO parts of the nebula wind [8] indicated those parts only must have a kelvin temperature state which is uniquely the least of any observed location in nature.[6][9] The cause of the outflow is theorized as the product of the conclusion of a binary system.[10] [b] The outflow product by Common-envelope evolution [10] was an outer environment of the stars (an envelope) produced by the dual orbital system of the binary system.[11] The CO outflow is theorized as part of the environment (the envelope) forced out from the area of the orbital system of the larger star by the absorption of the lesser sized star into the core of the larger by terminal gravitational attraction.[10]

In 2013, observations of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) radio interferometer revealed other features of the Boomerang Nebula.[13] The nebula's visible double lobe was observed to be surrounded by a larger spherical region of cold gas seen only in sub-millimeter radio wavelengths. The nebula's outer fringes appear to be gradually warming.

As of mid-2017, it is believed that the star at the center of the nebula is a dying red giant.[14][15]

[edit]

ALMA (2017)

[edit]

Hubble

[edit]
  • This Hubble image was recorded using polarizing filters (analogous to polarized sunglasses) and color-coded by the angle associated with the polarized light.
    This Hubble image was recorded using polarizing filters (analogous to polarized sunglasses) and color-coded by the angle associated with the polarized light.
  • Red filter applied to monochromatic data
    Red filter applied to monochromatic data

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ In the 1997 paper the researchers provide alternate quantities for the microwave background temparature of 3 K or 2.8 K.[6] In a publication of 2012 the temperature is stated as less than 2 K.[4] A more specific quantity of kelvin stated elswehere of the microwave background is 2.72548 ± 0.00057 K.[7]
  2. ^ The theory uses a concept after Paczynski (1976) [11] who used V471 Tauri [12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Boomerang Nebula". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  2. ^ "APOD: 2007 December 28 - A Beautiful Boomerang Nebula".
  3. ^ "PGC 3074547 (Boomerang Nebula) - Galaxy - SKY-MAP".
  4. ^ a b Sahai, R.; Vlemmings, W.; Nyman, L-A; Huggins, P. (June 2012). "Probing the Molecular Outflows of the Coldest Known Object in the Universe The Boomerang Nebula" (PDF). science.nrao.edu. National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Retrieved 24 March 2025. Model indicates Tkin < 2K
  5. ^ "Boomerang Nebula Boasts the Coolest Spot in the Universe". jpl.nasa.gov. NASA JPL. 20 June 1997. Retrieved 24 March 2025. has a temperature of about 1 Kelvin
  6. ^ a b c Sahai, Raghvendra; Nyman, Lars-Åke (1997). "The Boomerang Nebula: The Coolest Region of the Universe?". The Astrophysical Journal. 487 (2): L155 – L159. Bibcode:1997ApJ...487L.155S. doi:10.1086/310897. hdl:2014/22450. L156: We have measured a 9 mK upper limit (3 σ) on continuum emission at 89.2 and 145.6 GHz toward the Boomerang Nebula, which is much smaller than the negative temperatures seen in the CO and 13CO J 1–0 spectra, so these must result from absorption of the microwave background, requiring the excitation temperature (Tex) to be less than 2.8 K (Tbb). 3. A TWO–SHELL MODEL In shell 2 (R1,o < r < R2), Tkin < 2.8 K
  7. ^ Fixsen, D. J. (2009). "THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND". ApJ. 707 (916): ABSTRACT. arXiv:0911.1955. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/707/2/916.
  8. ^ "We have discovered absorption of the 3 K microwave background radiation by ultracold CO gas in the Boomerang Nebula-losing mass through a fast (164 km s 1) molecular wind-This wind contains ultracold gas at temperatures below the microwave background temperature"
  9. ^ Cauchi, Stephen (February 21, 2003). "Coolest bow tie in the universe". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved February 2, 2007.
  10. ^ a b c Sahai, Raghvendra (25 September 2018). "Binary Interactions, High-Speed Outflows and Dusty Disks during the AGB-To-PN Transition - 3. The Effects of Binarity - 3.1. Large Episodic Mass-Ejections that End the AGB/RGB Phase". Galaxies. 6 ((4) Asymmetric Planetary Nebulae VII). Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. doi:10.3390/galaxies6040102.
  11. ^ a b Ivanova, N.; Justham, S.; Chen, X.; De Marco, O.; Fryer, C. L.; Gaburov, E.; Ge, H.; Glebbeek, E.; Han, Z.; Li, X.-D.; Lu, G.; Marsh, T.; Podsiadlowski, P.; Potter, A.; Soker, N.; Taam, R.; Tauris, T. M.; van den Heuvel, E. P. J.; Webbink, R. F. (2013). "Common envelope evolution: where we stand and how we can move forward". The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. 21 (59). arXiv:1209.4302. Bibcode:2013A&ARv..21...59I. doi:10.1007/s00159-013-0059-2.
  12. ^ Paczynski, B. (1976). "Common Envelope Binaries". Symposium - International Astronomical Union. 73: Structure and Evolution of Close Binary Systems. Cambridge University Press (published 14 August 2015): 75–80. doi:10.1017/S0074180900011864.
  13. ^ "ALMA reveals ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe'". Phys.Org. Omicron Technology Limited. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  14. ^ Sahai (May 31, 2017). "The Coldest Place in the Universe: Probing the Ultra-Cold Outflow and Dusty Disk in the Boomerang Nebula". The Astrophysical Journal. 841 (2). The American Astronomical Society: 110. arXiv:1703.06929. Bibcode:2017ApJ...841..110S. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa6d86.
  15. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Astronomers solved the 22-year-long mystery behind the coldest place in the universe". YouTube. 19 June 2017.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boomerang_Nebula&oldid=1282201813"