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| Paper: |
The Red Rectangle as a Peculiar Evolved Binary |
| Volume: |
313, Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae III |
| Page: |
61 |
| Authors: |
van Winckel, H. |
| Abstract: |
Since the discovery paper, back in 1975, the Red Rectangle nebula around
its central bright object HD 44179, has remained a very popular object
of study over a wide wavelength domain. Its former role as proto-typical
example of a proto-planetary nebula has changed in the recent years, and
the object is now understood as an evolved object in a binary orbit. The
binary is not in contact any longer, but during the former cool giant
phase, interaction must have been severe. The inner structure of the
object is a binary with a period of 318 ± 3 days in an eccentric
orbit (e=0.37), surrounded by a stable circumbinary disc in Keplerian
rotation. This presence of a disc is suspected in many other post-AGB
binaries, but it is the circumstellar chemistry and the nebular
morphology that makes the Red-Rectangle unique. |
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