2013MNRAS.436.1961A

We simulate the formation of bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) through very short impulsive mass ejection events from binary systems, where the asymptotic giant branch star ejects a mass shell that is accelerated by jets launched from a compact companion. The acceleration process takes place at very short distances from the binary system, such that the photon-diffusion time is long enough to prevent rapid cooling of the shocked jets' material. When the shocked jets' gas density is lower than the shell density, the flow becomes Rayleigh-Taylor unstable and dense clumps are formed in the flow. At later times, a PN with clumpy lobes that have a linear distance-velocity relation will be observed. This process might account for the formation of bipolar PNe with clumpy lobes, such as NGC 6302. The energy radiated during the months-to-years duration of such an event will appear as an intermediate-luminosity optical transient.