The MIPSGAL 24 μm Galactic Plane Survey has revealed more than 400 compact-extended objects. Less than 15% of these MIPSGAL bubbles (MBs) are known and identified as evolved stars. We present Spitzer observations of 4 MBs obtained with the InfraRed Spectrograph to determine the origin of the mid-IR emission. We model the mid-IR gas lines and the dust emission to infer physical conditions within the MBs and consequently their nature. Two MBs show a dust-poor spectrum dominated by highly ionized gas lines of [\ion{O}{4}], [\ion{Ne}{3}], [\ion{Ne}{5}], [\ion{S}{3}] and [\ion{S}{4}]. We identify them as planetary nebulae with a density of a few 103cm−3 and a central white dwarf of ≳200,000 K. The mid-IR emission of the two other MBs is dominated by a dust continuum and lower-excitation lines. Both of them show a central source in the near-IR (2MASS and IRAC) broadband images. The first dust-rich MB matches a Wolf-Rayet star of ∼60,000 K at 7.5 kpc with dust components of ∼170 and ∼1750 K. Its mass is about 10−3M⊙ and its mass loss is about 10−6M⊙/yr. The second dust-rich MB has recently been suggested as a Be/B[e]/LBV candidate. The gas lines of [\ion{Fe}{2}] as well as hot continuum components (∼300 and ∼1250 K) arise from the inside of the MB while its outer shell emits a colder dust component (∼75 K). The distance to the MB remains highly uncertain. Its mass is about 10−3M⊙ and its mass loss is about 10−5M⊙/yr.
@article{arxiv.1111.0865,
title = {Spitzer/IRS investigation of MIPSGAL 24 microns compact bubbles},
author = {N. Flagey and A. Noriega-Crespo and N. Billot and S. J. Carey},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1111.0865},
year = {2015}
}