Combined analysis of mid- and far-IR spectroscopic and photometric data is key to the study of the chemistry, kinetics and thermal structure of star forming regions, probing warm dust as well as ionized and molecular gas. One of the nearest massive star forming regions, OMC-1, is situated just behind the Orion Nebula and has been extensively observed with all SOFIA instruments.
Through the SOFIA public data archive , anyone can access a large number of infrared high-quality infrared maps and spectra of OMC-1. Some of those datasets explore previously never-observed wavelengths, and many cover regions of interest such as the Orion Bar, considered to be the prototypical photon dominated region. These datasets include:
- HAWC+ photometric and polarization maps at 53, 89, 154, and 214 microns (proposal ID: 70_0609). Chuss et al. (2019) derived the large-scale polarization structure of OMC-1, confirming the global hour-glass shape of its magnetic field. With a spatial resolution of 5-19”, the Orion Bar and other sub-structures can also be clearly resolved. See also Astrobites piece.
- GREAT ionized carbon [CII] velocity-resolved map at 158 microns (proposal ID: 04_0066): this wide maps provide unique information on ISM kinematics near massive stars. Pabst et al. (2019) focused their analysis on the region of the stellar wind-bubble associated to the Orion Veil.
- FORCAST and FLITECAM imaging of the Orion Bar at 3.3 and 11.2 microns (proposal ID: 04_0058), targeting PAH's emission signatures and diagnostic of PAH’s size and abundance.
- FIFI-LS maps of mid-J CO lines between 69 and 200 microns (proposal ID: 03_0044), which can trace the thermal structure of shocked gas.
Other available data include high resolution spectra of dust obscured compact sources observed with EXES, and large mid-IR photometric maps obtained with FORCAST.
(Left) The magnetic field vectors inferred from the 53 µm polarimetry data are superposed on the 53 µm intensity map. The polarization is sampled to Nyquist sample the HAWC+/SOFIA Band A beam. (Right) The same region is shown superposed on the 2.12 µm image from Bally et al. (2011) and the 1.3 mm ALMA CO map (Bally et al. 2017). The geometry of the magnetic field inferred by the band A polarimetry traces the bipolar outflow.