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Ejecta of Eta Carinae: What We Learn about N-Rich ChemistryAt least one member of the binary system, Eta Carinae, is in the late stages of CNO-cycle. At least ten solar masses of ejecta make up the Homunculus, a neutral bi-polar shell ejected in the 1840s and the Little Homunculus, an internal, ionized bi-polar shell ejected in the 1890s. HST/STIS and VLTAJVES high dispersion spectroscopy revealed absorptions of multiple elements and diatomic molecules in these shells, some, such as V II and Sr II have not been seen previously in the ISM. The skirt region between the bi-lobes includes the very bright Weigelt blobs, within 0.1 to 0.3" of the central source, and the more distant, unusual Strontium Filament, a neutral emission nebula photoexcited by Balmer continuum, but shielded by Fe II from Lyman radiation. The 600+ emission lines are due to metals usually tied up in dust, but underabundances of C and O prevent precipitation as oxides onto the dust grains. Indications are that Ti/Ni is 100X solar, likely due not to nuclear processing, but the very different photo-excitation environments coupled with N-rich, C-, O-poor chemistry. In the Homunculus, level populations of the molecules indicate 60K gas; the metal absorption lines, 760K; that of the Little Homunculus 6400K during the broad spectroscopic maximum, relaxing to 5000K for the few month long minimum. Lyman radiation, including both continuum and Lyman lines, is trapped across periastron. leading to temporary relaxation of the ejecta. These ejecta are a treasure trove of information on material thrown out of massive stars in the CNO-cycle, well before the helium burning phase. Curiously, spectra of three very recent SWIFT GRBs indicate the presence of warm, photoexcited ejecta in the vicinity of the protoGRBs, but obviously of very different abundances. However, the ejecta of Eta Carinae promise to be a nearby example of massive ejecta, the study of which should lead to increased insight of earlier, very distant massive stars.
Document ID
20060013226
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Gull, Theodore
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Subject Category
Astronomy
Meeting Information
Meeting: Astonomical Institute Ultrecht Conference
Location: Lunteren
Country: Netherlands
Start Date: May 28, 2006
End Date: June 1, 2006
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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