Red Rectangle Nebula

[geckzilla]

I've been working on a 3d model of this to try to help myself understand the object better. It's a little surprising what shape actually results in those arcs above and below the "cone" structures. I think I might be quite wrong, but the renderings are so intriguing and not so wildly impossible that I can't help but push on with it. Something I wish I could get working is to show the ridges more clearly. I might be able to think up a better solution later.

In the left column is a volumetric rendering. On the right is a solid model. At the top is the Hubble image of the nebula. The second row in the renderings looks the closest to me.

[geckzilla]

Ok, fixed it so it makes more sense. Why is it like this? The dust torus (invisibly small) around the star shapes the bi-polar outflows into these lobed shapes. What I think causes this one to be indented is that the star is rotating obliquely. You've probably seen this weird rotating demonstrated by pulsar rotation. I don't know how a star comes to rotate like that. It still doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I guess that's what makes it fun to think about, though.

Click to view full size image

[Ann]

Thanks, Geck. Really interesting.

Ann

[Regulus]

The dust torus (invisibly small) around the star shapes the bi-polar outflows into these lobed shapes.

Really? You think something as thin and wispish as a dust disk could cause such violent, high speed , and energetic events to be re-directed. Like the bow of a ship forces the water to either side?
This hypothetical disk of dust is thin in terms of density, and thickness as a disc. How could it possibly 'funnel' anything into these two steep sided lobes?
Geniune questions; since your thinking about it, you might be able to explain it to me.

Regulus.

[geckzilla]

I was speculating. This whole thread is speculation. The dust torus can shape the outflows if the outflows are gentle enough and the dust torus is dense enough. I was trying to learn some astro software called Shape to simulate my idea, but have been both sidetracked and lazy about learning a new thing.

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

As a speculation - I think how nature mimics shapes, from small dimensions to larger ones, is peculiar though it would be extraordinary to expect it to be proven someday.

Electron Shell Shapes.jpg (5.45 KiB) Viewed 606 times

Who knows? It may come in handy someday sooner than we'd expect. http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1309/1309.7706.pdf Sounds like they were mimicing a black hole.

That would be an event on our horizon. Light has a lot of potential in the future. Lucky there are lots of us to image the possibilites.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Just "expectulating" Good luck with your ideas!