Cat's Eye Nebula visualized in 3D

Researchers have created the first PC generated three-dimensional model of the Cat's Eye Nebula, revealing a pair of symmetric rings encircling the nebula's external shell. The rings' symmetry suggests they were shaped by a precessing plane, providing strong proof for a binary star at the focal point of the nebula. The study was driven by Ryan Clairmont, who as of late finished secondary school in the US, and is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

A planetary nebula forms while a dying solar-mass star ejects its external layer of gas, creating a vivid, shell-like structure distinctive to these objects. The Cat's Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543, is one of the most perplexing planetary nebulae known. It is just more than 3,000 light-years away from Earth, and can be seen in the constellation Draco. The Cat's Eye Nebula has also been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in high resolution, revealing an intricate structure of knots, spherical shells, and arc-like filaments.

The nebula's mysterious structure confounded astrophysicists because it couldn't be explained by previously accepted theories for planetary nebula formation. Later research showed that precessing jets were potential shaping mechanisms in complex planetary nebulae such as NGC 6543, yet lacked a detailed model.

Ryan Clairmont, an astronomy enthusiast, chose to attempt to establish the detailed 3D structure of the Cat's Eye to find out more about the potential mechanism that gave it its intricate shape. To do this, he sought out the assistance of Dr. Wolfgang Steffen of The National Autonomous University of Mexico and Nico Koning from the University of Calgary, who created SHAPE, 3D astrophysical modeling software particularly suitable for planetary nebulae.

To reconstruct the nebula's three-dimensional structure, the researchers used spectral data from the San Pedro Martir National Observatory in Mexico. These give detailed information on the internal motion of material in the nebula. Together with these data and images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Clairmont constructed an original 3D model, establishing that rings of high-density gas were wrapped around the external shell of the Cat's Eye. Surprisingly, the rings are almost completely symmetric to each other, suggesting they were framed by a fly — a stream of high-density gas launched out in opposite directions from the nebula's central star.

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The fly displayed precession, similar to the wobbling motion of a spinning top. As the stream wobbled, or precessed, it outlined a circle, creating the rings around the Cat's Eye. Notwithstanding, the data indicates the rings are only partial, meaning the precessing plane never finished an entire 360-degree rotation, and that the rise of the jets was only a short-lived phenomenon. The duration of outflows is an important snippet of information for the theory of planetary nebulae. Since only binary stars can drive a precessing plane in a planetary nebula, the team's findings are strong proof that a system of this sort exists at the focal point of the Cat's Eye.

As the angle and direction of the fly changed over the long run, it probably shaped all of the features seen in the Cat's Eye, including the jets and knots. Using the three-dimensional model, the researchers had the option to calculate the slant and opening angle of the precessing plane based on the orientation of the rings.

Ryan Clairmont, the lead author of the paper and presently a prospective undergraduate at Stanford University, says "When I first saw the Cat's Eye Nebula, I was astounded by its beautiful, completely symmetric structure. I was much more surprised that its 3D structure was not completely understood."

He adds, "It was extremely rewarding to have the option to do astrophysical research of my own that actually has an impact in the field. Precessing jets in planetary nebulae are relatively rare, so it's important to understand how they contribute to the shaping of additional perplexing systems like the Cat's Eye. Ultimately, understanding how they structure provides insight into the eventual fate of our Sun, which will itself one day become a planetary nebula."