The kinetic energy stored in the CO shell can be estimated as $E_{\rm kin} = 0.5\, M_{\rm shell}\, V^2_{\rm exp}$, where Vexp is the expansion velocity of the shell and Mshell is the total (molecular, atomic, and ionized) shell mass. Adopting an expansion velocity equal to half the velocity interval where the structure is observed, Vexp = 7.0 ± 1.3 km s− 1 , the molecular mass given in Table 1 and the atomic and ionized masses estimated by Cichowolski et al. (2001), 1450 and 3000 M⊙, respectively, we obtain Ekin = (2.5 ± 1.0) × 1049 erg, assuming a 40 per cent error for the masses.. Although Cichowolski et al. (2001) concluded that WR 130 could have alone created the observed structure, it is important to note that they did not take into account the molecular mass present in the shell, which considerably increases the kinetic shell energy. Thus, we can compare now the new value obtained for Ekin with the mechanical energy deposited in the ISM by the wind of the WR star, Ew = (0.7–2.2) × 1050 erg (Cichowolski et al. 2001). We obtain ϵ = Ekin/Ew = 0.007–0.5. The ratio ϵ measures the energy conversion efficiency in the shell, and according to evolutionary models ϵ ≤ 0.2 (Koo & McKee 1992). Thus, not all the possible values of ϵ are compatible with the scenario where the energy injected during the WR phase is enough to create the structure. In this case, the contribution of the energy injected during the O-star phase and/or other massive stars, should be considered. As mentioned in the Introduction, WR 130 is a WNH star, and according to Smith & Conti (2008) its age would be of about 2–3 Myr and its initial mass of at least 60 M⊙. A rough estimation of the energy injected by such a star during its main sequence yields Ew = (2.5–3.5) × 1050 erg (de Jager, Nieuwenhuijzen & van der Hucht 1988), which would be enough to create the observed structure. We have nevertheless looked for the presence of other massive stars in the region. We queried the available catalogues such as the Galactic O-Star Catalog (Maíz Apellániz et al. 2013), the Early-Type Emission-Line Stars Catalogue (Wackerling 1970), the Catalogue of Be stars (Jaschek & Egret 1982), the H-alpha Stars in the Northern Milky Way Catalogue (Kohoutek & Wehmeyer 1997), and the Catalog of Galactic OB Stars (Reed 2003), for early-type and emission stars. No stars were found in any catalogue. The only massive star located nearby is, as mentioned by Cichowolski et al. (2001), an OB star, which has an uncertain spectral type and no distance estimate (Stock, Nassau & Stephenson 1960). It is located in projection not in the centre of the structure but on to the shell (there is a second OB star mentioned by Cichowolski et al. 2001 but its location is actually outside the structure, see fig. 1 of Cichowolski et al. 2001). Although we cannot completely rule out the possibility that the OB star may be playing a role in creating the shell structure, we think that the action of WR 130 is sufficient and most likely dominant in the region.
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