Filling Factors and Ionized Masses in Planetary Nebulae

Abstract

We calculate filling factors (${\varepsilon}$) and ionized masses (M$_{\rm i}$) for a total of 84 galactic and extragalactic planetary nebulae (PNe) at known distances. To do these calculations, we have chosen forbidden line electron densities, observed angular diameters, and H$β$ fluxes, from the most recent measurements available in the literature. Statistical analysis on the distributions of ${\varepsilon}$ and ${\rm M_i}$ show that (1) the ranges of values of these parameters is wider than what was previously found; (2) the mean value of the filling factor is between $0.3$ and $0.4$, for the different sets; (3) the mean value of the ionized mass is between $0.1$ and $0.25$ $M_{\odot}$; (4) a clear correlation between the filling factors and the dimensions of the PNe was not found when distance-independent sets of PNe were used; (5) for extragalactic PNe, where distance errors are not a factor, the filling factors and the ionized masses anticorrelate tightly with the electron densities. The results indicate that the modified Shklowsky distance method is correct.