FIRST SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS WITH SOFIA/FORCAST: 6-37 {mu}m IMAGING OF ORION BN/KL

Journal Article · Fri Apr 20 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L23· OSTI ID:22047907

De Buizer, James M; Becklin, E E; Zinnecker, Hans; Shuping, Ralph Y; Vacca, William D ^[1]; Morris, Mark R ^[2]; Herter, Terry L

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1. SOFIA-USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, MS N211-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

The Becklin-Neugebauer/Kleinmann-Low (BN/KL) region of the Orion Nebula is the nearest region of high-mass star formation in our galaxy. As such, it has been the subject of intense investigation at a variety of wavelengths, which have revealed it to be brightest in the infrared to submillimeter wavelength regime. Using the newly commissioned SOFIA airborne telescope and its 5-40 {mu}m camera FORCAST, images of the entire BN/KL complex have been acquired. The 31.5 and 37.1 {mu}m images represent the highest resolution observations ({approx}<4'') ever obtained of this region at these wavelengths. These observations reveal that the BN object is not the dominant brightness source in the complex at wavelengths {>=} 31.5 {mu}m and that this distinction goes instead to the source IRc4. It was determined from these images and derived dust color temperature maps that IRc4 is also likely to be self-luminous. A new source of emission has also been identified at wavelengths {>=} 31.5 {mu}m that coincides with the northeastern outflow lobe from the protostellar disk associated with radio source I.

• OSTI ID: 22047907
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 749; ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
BRIGHTNESS
CAMERAS
COLOR
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
GALAXIES
IMAGES
MASS
NEBULAE
PHOTON EMISSION
RESOLUTION
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
TELESCOPES