Deciphering the 3D Orion Nebula. II. A Low Ionization Region of Multiple Velocity Components Southwest of θ 1 Ori C Confounds Interpretation of Low Velocity Resolution Studies of Temperature, Density, and Abundance

Abstract

Abstract We establish that there are two velocity systems along lines of sight that contribute to the emission-line spectrum of the brightest parts of the Orion Nebula. These overlie the Orion-S embedded molecular cloud southwest of the dominant ionizing star (θ 1 Ori C). Examination of 10 × 10″ samples of high spectral resolution emission-line spectra of this region reveals it to be of low ionization, with velocities and ionization different from the central part of the nebula. These properties jeopardize earlier determinations of abundance and physical conditions since they indicate that this region is much more complex than has been assumed in analyzing earlier spectroscopic studies and argue for use of very high spectral resolution or known simple regions in future studies.