A collimated, high-speed outflow from the dying star V Hydrae

R. Sahai (), M. Morris, G. R. Knapp, K. Young and C. Barnbaum
Additional contact information
R. Sahai: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
M. Morris: Department of Physics and Astrophysics, UCLA
G. R. Knapp: Princeton University, Department of Astrophysical Sciences
K. Young: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
C. Barnbaum: Valdosta State University, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geosciences

Nature, 2003, vol. 426, issue 6964, 261-264

Abstract: Abstract Stars with masses in the range 1–8 solar masses (M⊙) live ordinary lives for ∼109–1010 years, but die extraordinary deaths. First, during their death throes as asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars they eject, over 104–105 years, half or more of their mass in slowly expanding, spherical winds, and then, in a short (a few 100–1,000 years) and poorly understood phase, they are transformed into aspherical planetary nebula. Recent studies support the idea that high-speed, jet-like flows play a crucial role in this transformation1. Evidence for such outflows is indirect, however; this phase is so short that few nearby stars are likely to be caught in the act. Here we report the discovery of a newly launched, high-speed jet-like outflow in the nearby AGB star, V Hydrae. We have detected both proper motions and ongoing evolution in the jet. These results support a model in which the jet is driven by an accretion disk around an unseen, compact companion. We also find a central, dense equatorial disk-like structure which may enable and/or enhance the formation of the accretion disk.

Date: 2003
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature02086 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:426:y:2003:i:6964:d:10.1038_nature02086

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/nature02086

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().