Abstract
We provide mid- and far-infrared photometry of 857 Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) using data derived from the AKARI All-Sky Survey. These include fluxes at 9 and 18 μm obtained with the Infrared Camera (IRC), and at 65, 90, 140 and 160 μm using the far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS). It is noted that the IR luminosities of the youngest PNe are comparable to the total luminosities of the central stars, and subsequently decline to 5×102 L⊙ where D > 0.08 pc. This is consistent with an evolution of PNe dust opacities, and appreciable absorption in young and proto-PNe. We also note that there is little evidence for the evolution in IR/radio flux ratios suggested by previous authors. The fall-off of dust temperatures with increasing nebular diameter is similar to that determined in previous studies, whilst levels of Lyα heating are <0.5 of the total energy budget of the grains. There appears to be an evolution in the infrared excess (IRE) as nebulae expand, with the largest values occurring in the most compact PNe.
