Enigmatic low-velocity jet-like features in planetary nebulae

Abstract

We are developing a project aimed at studying the physical properties, origin and evolution of low-ionization structures in planetary nebulae. Within this project we have identified a number of pairs of highly collimated low-ionization jet-like features (Goncalves et al. 2001). In spite of being very similar to real jets, they have the intriguing property of possessing expansion velocities which are very low, or at least not significantly different from, that of the shells in which they are embedded. In this contribution we discuss our data on these fake jets (Corradi et al. 1997, 1999) and compare them with existing theoretical models for the formation of collimated structures in PNe. These enigmatic jet-like systems are not easily accounted for within the theoretical scenarios that deal with collimated features in PNe.