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Paper: LMC-N66: A Potential SN Ia Progenitor?
Volume: 334, 14th European Workshop on White Dwarfs
Page: 345
Authors: Hamann, W.-R.; Pena, M.; Graefener, G.
Abstract: The planetary nebula N66 in the Large Magellanic Cloud is an exceptional object, as its central star has a Wolf-Rayet type spectrum of the nitrogen sequence ([WN]). Moreover, the star showed a dramatic brightness outburst in 1993-1994. We analyzed the changing stellar spectra and found evidence that the central star is most likely a binary system where a white dwarf accretes matter from a non-degenerate companion at a high rate. We also studied the morphology and kinematic of the nebula. Its complex multipolar structure can be explained as result of episodic bipolar ejections from a precessing source, giving further evidence for the binary nature of the central object. Due to the high rate of mass transfer, the object is a candidate for a future type Ia supernova in our cosmic neighborhood.
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