Filaments as Possible Signatures of Magnetic Field Structure in Planetary Nebulae

Abstract

We draw attention to the extreme filamentary structures seen in high-resolution optical images of certain planetary nebulae. We determine the physical properties of the filaments in the nebulae IC 418, NGC 3132, and NGC 6537, and based on their large length-to-width ratios, longitudinal coherence, and morphology, we suggest that they may be signatures of the underlying magnetic field. The fields needed for the coherence of the filaments are probably consistent with those measured in the precursor circumstellar envelopes. The filaments suggest that magnetic fields in planetary nebulae may have a localized and threadlike geometry.

Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Institute. STScI is operated by the association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.