NEBU_3D: A fast pseudo-3D photoionization code for aspherical planetary nebulae and HII regions

Abstract

We describe a pseudo-3D photoionization code, NEBU_3D and its associated visualization tool, VIS_NEB3D, which are able to easily and rapidly treat a wide variety of nebular geometries, by combining models obtained with a 1D photoionization code. We also present a tool, VELNEB_3D, which can be applied to the results of 1D or 3D photoionization codes to generate emission line profiles, position-velocity maps and 3D maps in any emission line by assuming an arbitrary velocity field. As examples of the capabilities of these new tools, we consider three very different theoretical cases. The first one is a blister HII region, for which we have also constructed a spherical model (the spherical impostor) which has exactly the same Hbeta surface brightness distribution as the blister model and the same ionizing star. The second example shows how complex line profiles can be obtained even with a simple expansion law if the nebula is bipolar and the slit slightly off-center. The third example shows different ways to produce line profiles that could be attributed to a turbulent velocity field while there is no turbulence in the model.