The Gum Nebula.

Abstract

A historical review of observations on the Gum Nebula is given together with a survey of knowledge on its size, emission features, and dynamics of expansion. The ultraviolet spectrum of Zeta Puppis is examined in terms of features caused by various absorption lines, and radio emission from Vela X is analyzed, together with the effects of nebular plasma on the propagation of radio pulses from pulsars in the Nebula. The density distribution and the possibility of being produced by the Vela X supernova are discussed.