The helium ionization structure of the Orion Nebula

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Abundance, Gas Ionization, Helium Ions, Interstellar Gas, Orion Nebula, Radio Astronomy, Recombination Reactions, Astronomical Spectroscopy, Electron Energy, Hydrogen Clouds, Hydrogen Recombinations, Line Spectra, Microwave Spectra, Stellar Atmospheres

Scientific paper

The ionization structure of the Orion Nebula is investigated through observations of hydrogen and helium recombination lines at 5 GHz using the 100-m telescope. These radio data on ionized helium abundances cover a much larger area of the Nebula than present optical observations. The ionized helium volume is found to be smaller than the volume of ionized hydrogen; the ionized helium abundance decreases with increasing distance from the principal exciting star. However, the gradient is much steeper to the east than to the west of the star. These data are consistent with new calculations of stellar model atmospheres (Kurucz, 1979) which show that line blanketing considerably reduces the ratio of helium to hydrogen ionizing photons. The nebular electron temperatures which are derived from hydrogen line-to-continuum ratios show no systematic variations across the Nebula.

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