LMC-N66: A potential SN Ia progenitor?
W.-R. Hamann1, M. Pena2, G. Gräfener1
The planetary nebula N66 in the Large Magellanic Cloud is an exceptional
object, as its central star has a Wolf-Rayet type spectrum of the nitrogen
sequence ([WN]). Moreover, the star showed a dramatic brightness outburst
in 1993--1994. We analyzed the changing stellar spectra and found evidence
that the central star is most likely a binary system where a white dwarf
accretes matter from a non-degenerate companion at a high rate. We also
studied the morphology and kinematic of the nebula. Its complex multipolar
structure can be explained as result of episodic bipolar ejections from a
precessing source, giving further evidence for the binary nature of the
central object. Due to the high rate of mass transfer, the object is a
candidate for a future type Ia supernova in our cosmic neighborhood.
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