Observations of far-infrared line profiles in the Orion-KL region

Journal Article · Mon Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184652· OSTI ID:5496780

Crawford, M K; Lugten, J B; Fitelson, W; Genzel, R; Melnick, G

Measurements of several far-infrared emission line profiles in the Orion-KL region are reported. The emission from the CO, OH, and forbidden O I emission lines toward the BN-KL and H2 peak 1 positions probably comes from dense, hot molecular gas in the Orion-KL shock. The CO and forbidden O I lines have similar profiles, suggesting that the high-velocity forbidden O I emission also arises in magnetohydrodynamic cloud shocks. The velocity centroids of the lines are somewhat blueshifted. The far-infrared data thus support the interpretation that the blue asymmetry of the H2 2 micron lines is not mainly due to differential dust extinction, but rather to the kinematics and geometry of the shocked gas in the Orion-KL outflow. The forbidden O I and CO lines, however, have significantly less extreme blueshifted emission than the H2 lines. Both the forbidden O I 63 micron and forbidden C II 158 micron lines have features strongly supporting a common origin near the surface of the Orion molecular cloud. 28 references

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA
• OSTI ID: 5496780
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 303; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COSMIC GASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
FAR INFRARED RADIATION
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROXYL RADICALS
INFRARED RADIATION
NEBULAE
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
RADICALS
SPECTRA