Astron. Astrophys. 363, 671-674 (2000)

Spatially resolved spectroscopy of the outflow from the symbiotic Mira RX Puppis ^*

R.L.M. Corradi ¹ and H.E. Schwarz <sup>2

1</sup> Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Apartado de Correos 321, 38700 Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain
² Casa de Los Sueños, 38713, Breña Alta, La Palma, Spain

Received 19 September 2000 / Accepted 28 September 2000

Abstract

We present and discuss long slit echelle spectra taken at various position angles in the nebula surrounding the symbiotic Mira RX Pup. The spectra were taken in the H spectral region and are spatially resolved. The fact that the nebula shows up only in the [NII] lines has enabled us to subtract the underlying point source spectrum, showing clearly the spatio-kinematic structure of the nebula.

We confirm the presence of the elongated feature found by Paresce (1990) at PA=15^o, but not its high H/[NII] ratio. We also find no evidence for a jet, but a velocity decreasing with distance from the central object.

A new nebular structure is found at 90^o to the main feature. The split lines indicate a nebula expanding with velocities  km s^-1, probably with a bipolar shape.

Both nebulae are some 100s of times larger than the binary separation of RX Pup.

Key words: stars: binaries: symbiotic ISM: jets and outflows stars: mass-loss stars: individual: RX Pup

* Based on observations obtained at the 3.5m NTT telescope of the European Southern Observatory.

Send offprint requests to: R. Corradi (rcorradi@ing.iac.es)

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations
• 3. Kinematical analysis
• 4. Discussion: which nebular geometry?
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 2000

Online publication: December 11, 2000
helpdesk@link.springer.de