Mass Distribution and Evolutionary Scheme for Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae

Abstract

The authors report on a study to determine the mass distribution and evolutionary scheme for planetary nuclei. First, absolute magnitudes were derived from ultraviolet stellar magnitudes for 68 galactic planetaries and three planetaries in the Magellanic Clouds. By comparing the luminosities and ages since the formation of the nebula with evolutionary calculations, the authors infer a mass range from 0.55 M_sun; up to 0.8 M_sun; or more. Population characteristics over this mass range are sharply distinct. Using spatial and kinematic characteristics to infer initial mass, they find that the higher mass (M ≥ 0.64) nuclei are concentrated in the galactic disk and derive from stars with initial masses of ≡1.5 M_sun;, while the low-mass nuclei (M ≡ 0.55) belong to the old disk or halo populations and derive from stars with initial masses of ≡1.0 M_sun; or less.