Fine-structure lines and elemental abundances in the Orion Nebula

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/157272· OSTI ID:5758738

Lester, D F; Dinerstein, H L; Rank, D M

Infrared observations of (Ne II) 12.81 ..mu..m, (S IV) 10.51 ..mu..m, and (Ar III) 8.99 ..mu..m in the Orion Nebula are presented. These measurements are combined with new optical observations of (Ne III), (S II), (S III), (O II), and (O III) to derive total elemental abundances of neon, sulfur, and oxygen, (Ne/H)= 7.91, (S/H)= 7.34, and (O/H)= 8.60, which are very similar to solar abundances. While the commonly employed ionization correction formula scheme is found to work satisfactorily for neon, the method overcompensates for the abundances of S/sup + + +/ and leads to a higher sulfur abundance than is actually present, though the net discrepancy in the elemental abundance of sulfur in Orion is small.

• Research Organization: Lick Observatory, Board of Studies in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz
• OSTI ID: 5758738
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 232:1; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
ARGON
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMOCHEMISTRY
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
FINE STRUCTURE
FLUIDS
H2 REGIONS
INFRARED SPECTRA
IONIZATION
NEBULAE
NEON
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
RARE GASES
SPECTRA
SULFUR