Abundances in Planetary Nebulae An Autopsy of Low and Intermediate Mass Stars

Abstract

In this work I report on the results of synthetic thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch models (TP-AGB) and compare the results to the abundance ratios in a sample of planetary nebulae. I use updated input parameters for mass-loss, the stellar luminosity, and dredge-up. I calculated models with masses between 0.8 solar masses and 8.0 solar masses. I also calculated models with [Fe/H] between -2.5 and 0.3. The effects of the first, second, third dredge-ups and hot-bottom burning are reported on. Models of the planetary nebula in M15 are reported on. The analysis of samples of Galactic bulge and disk nebulae are also reported.