'Distance mapping' and the 3D structure of BD +30° 3639

Abstract

BD +30° 3639 is a member of a group of uncommon planetary nebulae with Wolf-Rayet central star and higher expansion velocities in [O III] than in [N II] lines. Images and high-resolution spectra from the literature are used in order to construct a 3D model of the nebula using the morpho-kinematic code SHAPE. We find that two homologous expansion laws are needed for the [N II] and [O III] shells. We conclude that the internal velocity field of BD +30° 3639 decreases with the distance from the central star at least between the [O III] and [N II] shells. A cylindrical velocity component is used to replicate the high-speed bipolar collimated outflows. We also present a new kinematic analysis technique called 'distance mapping'. It uses the observed proper motion vectors and the 3D velocity field to generate maps that can be used as a constraint to the morpho-kinematic modelling with SHAPE as well as improve the accuracy for distance determination. It is applied to BD +30° 3639 using 178 internal proper motion vectors from Li, Harrington & Borkowski and our 3D velocity field to determine a distance of 1.52 ± 0.21 kpc. Finally, we find evidence for an interaction between the eastern part of the nebula and the ambient H₂ molecular gas.