A high-resolution image of the inner shell of the P Cygni nebula in the infrared [Fe II] line

Using the adaptive optics system of the Large Binocular Telescope, we have obtained nearinfrared camera PISCES images of the inner shell of the nebula around the luminous blue variable star P Cygni in the [Fe II] emission line at 1.6435 μm. We have combined the images in order to cover a field of view of about 20 arcsec around P Cygni, thus providing the highresolution (0.08 arcsec) two-dimensional spatial distribution of the inner shell of the P Cygni nebula in [Fe II].We have identified several nebular emission regions that are characterized by a signal-to-noise ratio > 3. A comparison of our results with those available in the literature shows full consistency with the findings of Smith & Hartigan, which are based on radial velocity measurements, and relatively good agreement with the extension of emission nebula in [N II] λ6584 found by Barlow et al. We have clearly also detected extended emission inside the radial distance R=7.8 arcsec and outside R=9.7 arcsec, which are the nebular boundaries proposed by Smith & Hartigan. New complementary spectroscopic observations are planned in order to measure radial velocities and to derive the three-dimensional distribution of the P Cygni nebula.