Abundance Patterns in Planetary Nebulae

Abstract

We previously determined abundances of He, C, N, O, and Ne for a sample of planetary nebulae (PNe) representing a broad range in progenitor mass and metallicity, and we now compare them with theoretical predictions of PNe abundances from a grid of intermediate-mass star models. We find very good agreement between observations and theory, lending strong support to our current understanding of nucleosynthesis in stars below 8Mo in birth mass. In particular, C and N abundance patterns are consistent with the occurrence of hot-bottom burning in stars above roughly 3.5Mo, a process that converts much of 12C into 14N during the AGB phase. This agreement also supports the validity of published stellar yields of C and N in the study of the abundance evolution of these elements.