Two ring nebulae around blue supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud

K. Weis, Y. H. Chu, W. J. Duschl, D. J. Bomans

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Ring nebulae are often found around massive stars such as Wolf-Rayet stars, OB and Of stars and Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs). In this paper we report on two ring nebulae around blue supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The star Sk-69 279 is classified as O9f and is surrounded by a closed shell with a diameter of 4.5 pc. Our echelle observations show an expansion velocity of 14 km s-1 and a high [NII]λ6583Å/Hα ratio. This line ratio suggests nitrogen abundance enhancement consistent with those seen in ejectas from LBVs. Thus the ring nebula around Sk-69 279 is a circumstellar bubble. The star Sk-69 271, a B2 supergiant, is surrounded by an Hα arc resembling an half shell. Echelle observations show a large expanding shell with the arc being part of the approaching surface. The expansion velocity is ∼ 24km s-1 and the [NII]λ6583Å/Hα: is not much higher than that of the background emission. The lack of nitrogen abundance anomaly suggests that the expanding shell is an interstellar bubble with a dynamic age of 2 × 105 yr.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1157-1162
Number of pages6
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume325
Issue number3
StatePublished - 1997

Keywords

  • ISM: bubbles
  • Magellanic Clouds
  • Stars: circumstellar matter
  • Stars: individual: Sk-69 271
  • Stars: individual: Sk-69 279
  • Stars: mass-loss

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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