WEAVE imaging spectroscopy of NGC 6720: an iron bar in the Ring

ABSTRACT We present spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the planetary nebula NGC 6720, the Ring Nebula, taken during the science verification phase of WEAVE, a new instrument mounted on the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. We use the instrument’s Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) to obtain spectra of the Ring Nebula, covering its entire optically bright inner regions as well as parts of its much fainter outer molecular halo. We report the discovery of emission from [Fe v] and [Fe vi] confined to a narrow ‘bar’ extending across the central regions of the nebula. No lines of other elements share this morphology or, at the spectral resolving power used ($R \sim 2500$), the same radial velocity. The extent to which iron in this bar is depleted is presently unclear; comparison with JWST-detected dust continuum emission suggests that some dust grain destruction may be occurring in the region, but there is currently no observational evidence for the $>$50 km s$^{-1}$ shock waves or $T > 10^6$ K X-ray emitting gas needed to enable this. Where the bar is located along the line of sight through the nebula, and how it was created, are new puzzles to be solved for this iconic planetary nebula.

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Publication Details

Journal
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Published
2025-12-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf2139
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

WEAVE imaging spectroscopy of NGC 6720: an iron bar in the Ring

R. García-Benito, A. Manchado, S. Jin, B. Gänsicke et al.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
article

WEAVE imaging spectroscopy of NGC 6720: an iron bar in the Ring

R. García-Benito, A. Manchado, S. Jin, B. Gänsicke, M. J. Barlow, P. J. Storey, R. Greimel, S. Hughes, J. García-Rojas, R. Sanchez-Janssen, J. A. L. Aguerri, S. R. Berlanas, A. L. González-Morán, D. Jones, D. J. B. Smith, E. Carrasco, G. B. Dalton, R. Raddi, R. Wesson, E. Schallig, E. Gafton, A. Zijlstra, J. E. Drew, R. A. H. Morris, S. C. Trager, N. A. Walton
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of the planetary nebula NGC 6720, the Ring Nebula, taken during the science verification phase of WEAVE, a new instrument mounted on the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma. We use the instrument’s Large Integral Field Unit (LIFU) to obtain spectra of the Ring Nebula, covering its entire optically bright inner regions as well as parts of its much fainter outer molecular halo. We report the discovery of emission from [Fe v] and [Fe vi] confined to a narrow ‘bar’ extending across the central regions of the nebula. No lines of other elements share this morphology or, at the spectral resolving power used ($R \sim 2500$), the same radial velocity. The extent to which iron in this bar is depleted is presently unclear; comparison with JWST-detected dust continuum emission suggests that some dust grain destruction may be occurring in the region, but there is currently no observational evidence for the $>$50 km s$^{-1}$ shock waves or $T > 10^6$ K X-ray emitting gas needed to enable this. Where the bar is located along the line of sight through the nebula, and how it was created, are new puzzles to be solved for this iconic planetary nebula.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical SocietyVol. 546(1)
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (GB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES), University of Hertfordshire (GB), Universidad de La Laguna (ES), University of Groningen (NL), University of Manchester (GB), University of Bristol (GB), University of Warwick (GB), National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (MX), University of Oxford (GB), European Space Astronomy Centre (ES), Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (US), Institute of Astronomy (RU), Centro de Astrobiología (ES), Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES), Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Isaac Newton Group (ES), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), University College London (GB), Cardiff University (GB), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES)
University of Pennsylvania, UK Research and Innovation, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Leverhulme Trust, University of Oxford, European Commission, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Lunds Universitet, Vetenskapsrådet, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Observatoire de Paris, Université de Recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
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