A study of the kinematics and binary-induced shaping of the planetary nebula HaTr 4

We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula HaTr 4, one of few known to contain a post-common-envelope central star system. Common-envelope evolution is believed to play an important role in the shaping of planetary nebulae, but the exact nature of this role is yet to be understood. High spatial- and spectral-resolution spectroscopy of the [Oiii] λ5007Å nebular line obtained with VLT-UVES is presented alongside deep narrow-band Hα+[Nii] λ6584Å imagery obtained using EMMI-NTT, and together the two are used to derive the three-dimensional morphology of HaTr 4. The nebula is found to display an extended ovoid morphology with an enhanced equatorial region consistent with a toroidal waist - a feature believed to be typical amongst planetary nebulae with post-common-envelope central stars. The nebular symmetry axis is found to lie perpendicular to the orbital plane of the central binary, concordant with the idea that the formation and evolution of HaTr 4 has been strongly influenced by its central binary. © 2012 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.