A possible explanation of this bipolar shape is the outflow of gas from massive stars (over 10 times the mass of our sun) hidden in the central absorption zone. Such stars are so hot that their radiation pressure halts the infall of gas and directs it away from the stars in two opposite directions. Presumably, a dense equatorial disk formed by matter still trying to fall in onto the stars focuses the outstreaming matter into the bipolar directions.
This observation is part of a search for young massive stars in the LMC. Rare are the cases where we can see massive stars so early after their birth.
The red in this true-color image is from the emission of hydrogen and the yellow from high excitation ionized oxygen. The picture was taken on September 5, 1998 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2.
The Hubble observations of the Papillon nebula were conducted by the
European astronomers
- Mohammad Heydari-Malayeri-(DEMIRM / CNRS, Observatoire de Paris) and co-investigators :
- -* Michael Rosa (Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility, Observatoire Européen Austral, Allemagne),
- Vassilis Charmandaris (DEMIRM / CNRS, Observatoire de Paris),
- Lise Deharveng (Observatoire de Marseille, France),
- Hans Zinnecker (Astrophysical Institute, Potsdam, Allemagne).
Their work is submitted for publication in the European journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.