ABSTRACT NGC 6302 is a spectacular bipolar planetary nebula (PN) whose spectrum exhibits fast outflows and highly ionized emission lines, indicating the presence of a very hot central star (220 000 K). Its infrared spectrum reveals a mixed oxygen and carbon dust chemistry, displaying both silicate and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features. Using the James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument and Medium Resolution Spectrometer, a mosaic map was obtained over the core of NGC 6302, covering the wavelength range of 5–28 m and spanning an area of 18. 5 arcsec 15arcsec. The spatially resolved spectrum reveals 200 molecular and ionized lines from species requiring ionization potentials of up to 205 eV. The spatial distributions highlight a complex structure at the nebula’s centre. Highly ionized species such as Mg vii and Si vii show compact structures, while lower ionization species such as H^+ extend much farther outwards, forming filament-defined rims that delineate a bubble. Within the bubble, the H^+ and H₂ emission coincide, while the PAH emission appears farther out, indicating an ionization structure distinct from typical photodissociation regions, such as the Orion Bar. This may be the first identification of a PAH formation site in a PN. This PN appears to be shaped not by a steady, continuous outflow, but by a series of dynamic, impulsive bubble ejections, creating local conditions conducive to PAH formation. A dusty torus surrounds the core, primarily composed of large (m-sized) silicate grains with crystalline components. The long-lived torus contains a substantial mass of material, which could support an equilibrium chemistry and a slow dust-formation process.
Matsuura et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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