Evidence for highly processed material ejected from Abell 30

Abstract

The discovery of compact knots of highly processed material apparently ejected from the central star of the emission nebula Abell 30 is reported here. This emission nebula possesses other unusual features. The extended emission region, ∼2 arc min in diameter has a very low surface brightness and exhibits a high degree of circular symmetry. The central star 05 fep, V = 14.3 is remarkable for its very high temperature of the order 2 × 10^5 K, as indicated by the strong broad O VI, He II and C IV emission lines in its spectrum and the strong [Ne v] emission in the embedding nebulosity. Furthermore the star seems to be embedded in a resolved (∼30 arc s) source of IR emission. These new observations emphasize the peculiar nature of A30 and its importance in studies of stellar evolution.

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