M 1-92: The Death of an AGB Star Told by Its Isotopic Ratios

• Published in: Galaxies 2024-10, Vol.12 (5), p.63
• Main Authors: Masa, Elisa, Alcolea, Javier, Santander-García, Miguel, Bujarrabal, Valentín, Sánchez Contreras, Carmen, Castro-Carrizo, Arancha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AGB evolution; Astrochemistry; Astronomical models; Astronomical research; Asymptotic giant branch stars; Equatorial regions; Isotope ratios; Kinematics; Morphology; Planetary nebulae; PN M 1-92; post-AGB evolution; post-AGB stars; pre-planetary nebulae; Radio telescopes; Software; Stars; Stellar evolution; Telescopes; Temperature; Velocity
• ISSN: 2075-4434; 2075-4434
• DOI: 10.3390/galaxies12050063

Ongoing improvements in the sensitivity of sub-mm- and mm-range interferometers and single-dish radio telescopes allow for the increasingly detailed study of AGB and post-AGB objects in molecular species other than CO12 and CO13. With a new update introduced in the modelling tool SHAPE + shapemol, we can now create morpho-kinematical models to reproduce observations of these AGB and post-AGB circumstellar shells in different molecular species, allowing for an accurate description of their physical features as well as their molecular abundances and isotopic ratios. The pre-planetary nebula M1-92 (Minkowski’s Footprint) is one of the most complex objects of this kind, with a wide range of physical conditions and more than 20 molecular species detected. We model this nebula, reproducing the observational data from IRAM-30m and HSO/HiFi spectra and NOEMA interferometric maps, trying to understand the unusual evolution of its central star in the last phases of its life. The results show interesting features that tell us the story of its death. According to standard evolution models, a O17/O18 isotopic ratio of 1.6 implies a stellar initial mass of ∼1.7M⊙. Such a star should have turned C-rich by the end of the AGB phase, in striking contrast to the O-rich nature of the nebula. The most plausible way of reconciling this discrepancy is that M1-92 resulted from a sudden massive ejection event, interrupting the AGB evolution of the central source and preventing its transformation into a C-rich star. We also detect a changing C12/C13 ratio across the nebula, which is particularly relevant in the inner equatorial region traced by HCO+ and H13CO+, indicating an isotopic ratio variation taking place at some point during the last 1200 yr.