Multiwavelength observations of the peculiar planetary nebula IC 2149

Abstract

We report high- and low-dispersion spectroscopy, optical imaging, and high-resolution Very Large Array-A lambda3.6 cm continuum observations of the peculiar planetary nebula IC 2149. These observations show that bipolar is a suitable morphological classification for IC 2149. Most nebular material is concentrated in a knotty, bright ring seen edge-on, embedded in an apparently oblate ellipsoidal shell from which remnant or incipient bipolar lobes emerge. We confirm the previously reported depletion in heavy elements and deduce a very low ejected nebular mass less than or similar to0.03 M.. All this information indicates that the formation of IC 2149 is the result of the evolution of a low-mass central star.