An extensive study of planetary nebulae in the Galactic bulge
IV - The luminosity function as a probe of the planetary nebulae population

G. Stasińska, A. Fresneau, J. F. Gameiro, A. Acker

Resumo
Theoretically derived luminosity functions are compared to observational data regarding the (O III) and H-beta lines of the planetary nebulae (PN) in the Galactic bulge. The theoretical values are obtained for a subsample using Monte Carlo methods to generate different distributions of the central star masses and different physical properties. The nebular envelopes of the observed PN which have a mass of about 0.2 solar mass demonstrate luminosity functions that agree well with the computed values. Constraints are derived from the calculations on the central-star mass distributions of more than 0.56 solar mass. The results are found to support the standard model for the evolution of PN as described by the authors (1991) and are used to estimate the total number of PN in the Galactic bulge at 600-700.

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume 252, Página 762
dezembro 1991

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