Filling factors and ionized masses in planetary nebulae

Boffi, Francesca R.; Stanghellini, Letizia

Filling factors and ionized masses in planetary nebulae

Oct, 1993

8 pages

Published in:

Astron.Astrophys. 284 (1994) 248

e-Print:

astro-ph/9310037 [astro-ph]

Report number:

BAP-09-1993-029-OAP

View in:

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Abstract: (arXiv)

We calculate filling factors (

{\varepsilon}

) and ionized masses (M

_{\rm i}

) for a total of 84 galactic and extragalactic planetary nebulae (PNe) at known distances. To do these calculations, we have chosen forbidden line electron densities, observed angular diameters, and H

{\beta}

fluxes, from the most recent measurements available in the literature. Statistical analysis on the distributions of

{\varepsilon}

and

{\rm M_i}

show that (1) the ranges of values of these parameters is wider than what was previously found: (2) the mean value of the filling factor is between

0.3

and

0.4

, for the different sets: (3) the mean value of the ionized mass is between

0.1

and

0.25

M_{\odot}

: (4) a clear correlation between the filling factors and the dimensions of the PNe was not found when distance-independent sets of PNe were used: (5) for extragalactic PNe, where distance errors are not a factor, the filling factors and the ionized masses anticorrelate tightly with the electron densities. The results indicate that the modified Shklowsky distance method is correct.

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- Addendum-ibid.S 7 487