The first computer-generated three-dimensional model of the Cat's Eye Nebula shows a pair of symmetrical rings. The rings' symmetry supports the idea that they were formed by a precessing jet. Ryan Clairmont, who just finished secondary school in the United States, was the leader of the study.
A planetary nebula is formed when a dying solar-mass star expels its outer layer of gas. One of the most complex planetary nebulaes is called the Cat's Eye Nebula. It can be seen in the constellation Draco, which is just over 3000 light-years away. The Hubble Space Telescope imaged the Cat's Eye Nebula in high resolution, showing a structure of knots, spherical shells, and arcs.
The structure of the nebula was not explained by previous theories. Precessing jets are potential shaping mechanisms in complex planetary nebulae but lack a detailed model.
Ryan Clairmont, an astronomy enthusiast, decided to attempt to establish the detailed 3D structure of the Cat's Eye to find out more about the mechanism that gave it its intricate shape. SHAPE, 3D astrophysical modeling software developed by Dr. Wolfgang Steffen of The National Autonomous University of Mexico, was used to do this.
The researchers used data from a national observatory in Mexico to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure. The information on the internal motion of the material is provided in these. The data and images from the Hubble Space Telescope led to the creation of a novel 3D model of the Cat's Eye. The rings appear to have been formed by a stream of high density gas ejected from the central star.
The jet moved in a similar way to a spinning top. The ring around the Cat's Eye was created as the jet wobbled. The emergence of the jets was only a short-lived phenomenon as the data shows that the rings are only partial. The theory of planetary nebulae depends on the duration of outflows. The team's findings show that a system like this one exists at the center of the Cat's Eye.
The jets and knots were formed as the angle and direction of the jet changed. The tilt and opening angle of the jet were calculated using the three-dimensional model.
The lead author of the paper says he was amazed by the Cat's Eye Nebula. I was surprised that it wasn't fully understood.
It was gratifying to be able to do astrophysical research that had an impact on the field. It's important to understand howcessing jets contribute to the shaping of systems like the Cat's Eye because they are rare. Understanding how they form gives us insight into the fate of our Sun, which will eventually become a planetary nebula.
More information: Ryan Clairmont et al, Morphokinematic modelling of the point-symmetric Cat's Eye, NGC 6543: Ring-like remnants of a precessing jet, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2022). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac2375 Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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