Spectrophotometric studies of the omega nebula (M17): Electron density and ionization

Details Spectrophotometric studies of the omega nebula (M17): Electron density and ionization Spectrophotometric studies of the omega nebula (M17): Electron density and ionization

Mar 1998

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998arep...42..137g&link_type=abstract

Astronomy Reports, Volume 42, Issue 2, March 1998, pp.137-152

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

4

Scientific paper

Spectral observations of the diffuse nebula M17 obtained on the 70-cm telescope of the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute and the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory are presented. Maps of the electron density N_e([SII]) and ionization are obtained, characterizing the physical conditions in 400 regions in the nebula. M17 has the highest degree of ionization of all known Galactic star-forming regions. This ionization could be caused by the radiation from stars of spectral type O3-O4. Analysis of the electron densities, degrees of ionization, and exciting stars indicates that most of the nebular emission is due to six O stars that are located in the dark `bay' of the nebula. Only one compact HII region with an independent ionization source was identified, in the southwest of the M17 complex. The weakly-emitting H alpha clumps and filaments in the western part of the nebula have the highest M17 ionization and electron density, and are optical features associated with the powerful radio source M17S, which is screened by a dark cloud with absorption A_V = 6-18m. The values of N_e([SII]) and N_e([ClIII]) for four cross sections of the nebula (angular resolution 3.6") are compared; these characterize the emission of the nebula in the HeII, [SIII], [NIII], and (in part) [OIII] zones. Areas in which the differences between these two densities are substantial are revealed.

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