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Planetary Nebula Evolution for Single Stellar Models. The Formation of Neutral Spikes

Guillermo Garcia-Segura, Arturo Manchado, Jesus A. Toala, Martin A. Guerrero, Alberto J. Castro-Tirado

TL;DR

This study uses 2-D hydrodynamic simulations with ZEUS-3D to follow single-star planetary nebula evolution across six ZAMS masses (1–5 M⊙), emphasizing neutral spike formation in light of JWST detections. By injecting winds and ionizing photons from precomputed AGB evolutions and applying an ionization-front approximation, the authors explore how thin-shell and ionization-front instabilities generate clumps and spikes during Phase A (ionization) and Phase C (recombination). They find mass-dependent spike windows: low-mass models show detectable spikes primarily during Phase A, while intermediate masses (notably 1.5–2.5 M⊙) also exhibit spikes persisting into Phase C; high-mass models (3.5–5 M⊙) produce few or no observable spikes. The results qualitatively reproduce JWST-like halo substructures and Ring Nebula–type clumps, highlighting the role of shocks, radiation, and hot-bubble pressure, and they underscore the need for 3D, binary-inclusive, higher-resolution models to refine quantitative predictions.

Abstract

Two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations are presented from the formation up to the late evolution of planetary nebula, for 6 different stellar models from 1 to 5 Mo. The hydrodynamical models use stellar evolution calculations as inner boundary conditions and updated values for the number of ionizing photons. Special emphasis is placed on the formation of neutral spikes, as recently observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The results indicate that neutral spikes can be detected either at the formation of planetary nebulae or in their decline. In the first case, the temporal window decreases with the mass of the model, ranging from 3,000 years in the 1 Mo case to 0 for 5 Mo. In the second case, only the 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Mo cases allow us to detect the neutral spikes for most of the remaining time.

Planetary Nebula Evolution for Single Stellar Models. The Formation of Neutral Spikes

TL;DR

This study uses 2-D hydrodynamic simulations with ZEUS-3D to follow single-star planetary nebula evolution across six ZAMS masses (1–5 M⊙), emphasizing neutral spike formation in light of JWST detections. By injecting winds and ionizing photons from precomputed AGB evolutions and applying an ionization-front approximation, the authors explore how thin-shell and ionization-front instabilities generate clumps and spikes during Phase A (ionization) and Phase C (recombination). They find mass-dependent spike windows: low-mass models show detectable spikes primarily during Phase A, while intermediate masses (notably 1.5–2.5 M⊙) also exhibit spikes persisting into Phase C; high-mass models (3.5–5 M⊙) produce few or no observable spikes. The results qualitatively reproduce JWST-like halo substructures and Ring Nebula–type clumps, highlighting the role of shocks, radiation, and hot-bubble pressure, and they underscore the need for 3D, binary-inclusive, higher-resolution models to refine quantitative predictions.

Abstract

Two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations are presented from the formation up to the late evolution of planetary nebula, for 6 different stellar models from 1 to 5 Mo. The hydrodynamical models use stellar evolution calculations as inner boundary conditions and updated values for the number of ionizing photons. Special emphasis is placed on the formation of neutral spikes, as recently observed by the James Webb Space Telescope. The results indicate that neutral spikes can be detected either at the formation of planetary nebulae or in their decline. In the first case, the temporal window decreases with the mass of the model, ranging from 3,000 years in the 1 Mo case to 0 for 5 Mo. In the second case, only the 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Mo cases allow us to detect the neutral spikes for most of the remaining time.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 16 sections, 23 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Numerical methods and physical assumptions
  3. Results
  4. Explanation of the figures
  5. The evolution of the 1 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  6. The evolution of the 1.5 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  7. The evolution of the 2 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  8. The evolution of the 2.5 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  9. The evolution of the 3.5 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  10. The evolution of the 5 $\hbox{M$_{\odot}$}$ model
  11. Discussion
  12. On the formation of clumps
  13. Subestructure in photoionzed haloes
  14. Neutral spikes
  15. Final remarks
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (23)

  • Figure 1: Total number of ionizing photons per unit time. Labels correspond to ZAMS masses.
  • Figure 2: Wind kinetic energy (mechanical luminosity $\rm L_w$ ) (top) and wind velocity ($\rm Vel$) (bottom) . Line styles similar to Figure 1.
  • Figure 3:
  • Figure 4: Phase A for 1.0 M$_{\odot}$. Each snapshot shows clockwise neutral gas density, ionized gas density and total gas density as explained in subsection 3.1
  • Figure 5: Phase B for 1.0 M$_{\odot}$
  • ...and 18 more figures