The bipolarity of the highest Galactic latitude planetary nebula, LoTr 5 (PN G339.9+88.4), around IN Com

High-resolution, spatially resolved, long-slit profiles of the [O iii] 5007-A  emission line of the highest Galactic latitude planetary nebula, LoTr 5, have been obtained with the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer (MES-SPM) on the San Pedro Martir (SPM) 2.1-m telescope. These are compared with a deep narrow-band [O iii] 5007-A  mosaic image obtained with the same system. This faint nebula, at a distance of ≥500 pc from the Galactic plane, is found to be expanding asymmetrically. Some form of bipolar structure is suggested by modelling the position–velocity arrays of line profiles and the new [O iii] 5007-A  image. Interestingly, the modelled bipolar axis is nearly perpendicular to the orbital plane of the IN Com binary system; this supports the theories which predict that binary systems play a part in shaping the outflow. Evidence for interaction of the envelope of LoTr 5 with its local interstellar medium is also considered.