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W.C. Jao, M.A. Shure (GSU)
Minkowski 1-11 (hereafter M1-11) is a poorly understood planetary nebulae, with a central star temperature of only 26,600K (Zhang and Kwok 1993). Spectral models which include stellar and nebular continuum (including dust emission) show a large infrared excess in the near-infrared range at 2-4 microns. We have obtained near-infrared images in order to understand the radial brightness profile of this nebula. When we plot the radial brightness curve in the J, H and K bands scaled by radius squared, our images show a ring of enhanced emission. Polarization images show that this light is unpolarized, so scattered light is not a likely mechanism. In order to explain the origin of this emission, we present a model using CLOUDY (a photoionization and spectral synthesis code) to simulate the radial brightness profile including both continuum emission and line emission. We compare the results with the observations.