Revised Simulations of the Planetary Nebulae Luminosity Function

Abstract

We describe a revised procedure for the numerical simulation of planetary nebulae luminosity functions (PNLF), improving on previous work (Méndez & Soffner 1997). The procedure now is based on new H-burning post-AGB evolutionary tracks (Miller Bertolami 2016). For a given stellar mass, the new central stars are more luminous and evolve faster. We have slightly changed the distribution of the [O III] 5007 intensities relative to those of Hβ and the generation of absorbing factors, while still basing their numerical modeling on empirical information extracted from studies of galactic planetary nebulae (PNs) and their central stars. We argue that the assumption of PNs being completely optically thick to H-ionizing photons leads to conflicts with observations and show that to account for optically thin PNs is necessary. We then use the new simulations to estimate a maximum final mass, clarifying its meaning, and discuss the effect of internal dust extinction as a possible way of explaining the persistent discrepancy between PNLF and surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances. By adjusting the range of minimum to maximum final mass, it is also possible to explain the observed variety of PNLF shapes at intermediate magnitudes. The new PN formation rates are calculated to be slightly lower than suggested by previous simulations based on older post-AGB evolutionary tracks.

Planetary Nebulae: Sources of Enlightenment

“…They found that models of the four M PNe in their sample indicated progenitor masses clustered at the "knee" of the 1.5 M M3B16 track; these stars, according to Gesicki et al (2018), can spend ∼ 1000 years at the bright end of the PNLF. Their average remnant mass is 0.574 M , which, interestingly, agrees with the 0.58 M "maximum final mass" derived from PNLF simulations by Valenzuela et al (2019). However, Davis et al (2018) analyzed a sample of bulge PNe in M31 and concluded that after accounting for the dimming effects of circumstellar dust, the brightest objects at the observed PNLF cutoff are in fact up to 1 mag brighter than the canonical M value (implying even more massive central stars 0.66 M ).…”

“…Though we still do not entirely understand its foundations, the bottom line is that the PNLF promises to remain a valuable tool. Studies like those by Gesicki et al (2018), Valenzuela et al (2019), and Bhattacharya et al (2021 demonstrate the significant potential of the PNLF to study star formation history and stellar populations. As a distance indicator, the PNLF is benefitting from new instrumental capabilities and analysis techniques that provide increasingly accurate and deeper measurements of PNe in distant galaxies.…”

Fornax 3D project: Automated detection of planetary nebulae in the centres of early-type galaxies and first results

“…Gesicki et al (2018) further explored the effect of star formation history and stellar population age on the bright cut-off of the PNLF of a detected PNe population. Together with the recent work of Valenzuela et al (2019), these studies finally overcome the initial difficulties of obtaining M * 5007 PNe in old stellar populations with mostly solar-mass star progenitors (e.g. Marigo et al 2004).…”

The Fornax 3D project: PNe populations and stellar metallicity in edge-on galaxies

“…For instance, the actual presence of bright PNe in old, passively evolving systems is a long-standing problem (Marigo et al 2004;Ciardullo 2005) that only recent theoretical development has started to address (e.g. Gesicki et al 2018;Valenzuela et al 2019). Likewise, both the origin of the PNLF bright cut-off (e.g.…”