Paper detail

Prediction of close binarity based on planetary nebula morphology

A thorough search of the OGLE-III microlensing project has more than doubled the total sample of PNe known to have close binary central stars. These discoveries have enabled close binary induced morphological trends to be revealed for the first time. Canonical bipolar nebulae, low-ionisation structures and polar outflows are all identified within the sample and are provisionally associated with binarity. We have embarked upon a large photometric monitoring program using the Flemish Mercator telescope to simultaneously test the predictive power of these morphological features and to find more close binaries. Early results are very positive with at least five binaries found so far. This suggests our method is an effective means to expedite the construction of a statistically significant sample of close binary shaped nebulae. Such an authoritative sample will be essential to quantify the degree to which close binary nuclei may shape PNe.