Bibcode
Corradi, Romano
Referencia bibliográfica
HST Proposal ID #9336
Fecha de publicación:
7
2002
Número de citas
0
Número de citas referidas
0
Descripción
We propose to measure the expansion parallax of the nebulae around the
binary symbiotic Miras He 2-104 {the Southern Crab} and He 2-147 by
means of high resolution WFPC2/F658N images to be taken at two different
epochs. Given the large outward velocities of these nebulae inferred
from ground-based spectroscopy, their apparent expansion can be measured
by HST imaging over timescales of only 2-3 years. For He 2-104 we have
already obtained ``Epoch 1'' HST images {cf. STScI-PRC- PR99-32}.
Combining the angular and radial velocity expansions will
straightforwardly yield the distance to the proposed targets. Knowledge
of the distance to these nebulae will provide a solid contribution to a
variety of research fields such as {a} the energetics of nuclear burning
in symbiotic binaries containing a Mira, {b} the pulsation mode of
binary Miras, and {c} the viability of Mira symbiotics as supersoft
X-ray sources and potential progenitors of Type Ia supernovae. HST high
resolution imaging of the nebulae combined with ground-based
spectroscopy will also address the still debated issue of the formation
of bipolar nebulae by collimated outflows from evolved stars.