Planetary Nebula PMR 1 with #JWST NIRCam.
It contains a Wolf-Rayet star at its center.
Filters: F150W (blue), F187N (hydrogen line Paschen-alpha in green), F444W (orange), F470N (molecular hydrogen in red)
see also NIRCam filters: https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-near-infrared-camera/nircam-instrumentation/nircam-filters#gsc.tab=0
program: https://www.stsci.edu/jwst-program-info/program/?program=9224
PI: Macarena Garcia Marin
#wolfrayet #planetarynebula #astronomy #science #space #nebula
Binaries that host a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet (WC) star and an OB-type companion can be copious dust producers. Yet the properties of dust, particularly the grain size distribution, in these systems remain uncertain. We present Band 6 observations of WR 112 by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope (ALMA), which are the first millimeter observations of a WC binary system capable of resolving its dust emission. By combining ALMA observations with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) images, we were able to analyze the spatially resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) of WR 112. We found that the SEDs are consistent with emissions from hydrogen-poor amorphous carbon grains. Notably, our results also suggest that the majority of grains in the system have radii below one micrometer, and the extended dust structures are dominated by nanometer-sized grains. Among four parameterizations of the grain radius distribution that we tested, a bimodal distribution, with abundant nanometer-sized grains and a secondary population of 0.1-micron grains, best reproduces the observed SED. This bimodal distribution helps to reconcile the previously conflicting grain size estimates reported for WR 112 and for other WC systems. We hypothesize that dust destruction mechanisms such as radiative torque disruption and radiative-driven sublimation are responsible for driving the system to the bimodal grain size distribution.
JWST captured a chaotic triple-star system with two Wolf-Rayet stars.
Excited to now share this story; papers have been accepted!
Apep is an awesome system, unlike any other we know about. It is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos - because, well, it is chaos!
Two Wolf-Rayet systems orbited by a third supergiant. As all their winds collide, they form these beautiful structures that have now been observed with #JWST and ESO's VLT.
I had a chat with fellow student from Macquarie Uni. Ryan White who has led one of the two papers that are released about this.
My latest for #SpaceAustralia
https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/order-amongst-chaos-apep
📸 NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Simulation: Yinuo Han (Caltech), Ryan White (Macquarie University); Visualization: Christian Nieves (STScI); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
#Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrodon #Apep #Science #WolfRayet
WR 112 ✨
#dust #infrared #jwst #shells #star #wolfrayet
▶️ 1 new picture from @spacegeck https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WR_112_%2854694476908%29.png
Dans un coin reculé de la Voie lactée, le télescope James Webb révèle le système stellaire Apep : deux géantes mourantes s’envoient leurs entrailles en spirale, encadrées par un troisième astre stable.
Apep ✨
#dust #infrared #jwst #nebula #star #wolfrayet
▶️ 1 new picture from @spacegeck https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apep_%2854677556499%29.png
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