Poster abstract details

The morphology of the Red Rectangle (RR) proto-planetary nebula (PPN) exhibits several singular attributes. Most prominent are a series of linear features perpendicular to the symmetry axis which appear as “ladder rungs” across the nebula. At the edge of each “rung” gas seemingly flows in a parabolic shape towards the center of the nebula.We present a new model of the RR which explains these features as a projection effect of the more common spherically-symmetric outflows seen in other PPN (e.g. Egg Nebula). Using the 3D morpho-kinematic modeling software SHAPE, we have created a model of the RR that consists of spherical shells evacuated by a biconal outflow. When the symmetry axis is oriented perpendicular to the line of sight,the spherical shells become linear thereby reproducing the “rungs” seen in the RR. When oriented at different inclinations, the linear features become spherical as observed in the Egg Nebula.