Bibcode
Corradi, Romano
Bibliographical reference
HST Proposal ID #9965
Advertised on:
7
2003
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We propose to measure the expansion parallax of the nebulae around the
binary symbiotic Miras He 2-104 {the Southern Crab} and He 2-147 by
means of high resolution WFPC2/F658N images to be taken at two different
epochs. Given the large outward velocities of these nebulae inferred
from ground-based spectroscopy, their apparent expansion can be measured
by HST imaging over timescales of only 2-3 years. Combining the angular
and radial velocity expansions will straightforwardly yield the distance
to the proposed targets. Knowledge of the distance to these nebulae will
provide a solid contribution to a variety of research fields such as {a}
the energetics of nuclear burning in symbiotic binaries containing a
Mira, {b} the pulsation mode of binary Miras, and {c} the viability of
Mira symbiotics as supersoft X-ray sources and potential progenitors of
Type Ia supernovae. HST high resolution imaging of the nebulae combined
with ground-based spectroscopy will also address the still debated issue
of the formation of bipolar nebulae by collimated outflows from evolved
stars.