Abstract
We examine the possibility of detecting signatures of surviving Uranus/Neptune-like planets inside planetary nebulae. Planets that are not too close to the stars (orbital separation larger than ∼5 au) are likely to survive the entire evolution of the star. As the star turns into a planetary nebula, it has a fast wind and strong ionizing radiation. The interaction of the radiation and wind with a planet may lead to the formation of a compact condensation or tail inside the planetary nebula, which emits strongly in Hα, but not in [O III]. The position of the condensation (or tail) will change over a time-scale of ∼10yr. Such condensations might be detected with currently existing telescopes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 806-808 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
Volume | 306 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 11 Jul 1999 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Binaries: close
- Planetary nebulae: general
- Planetary systems
- Stars: AGB and post-AGB