Kinematics and electron temperatures in Orion A

The V_lsr_ distribution shows a complex variation about the center of the ionized gas emission: From {DELTA}{alpha}=-200" to +300", the V_lsr_ varies from -5km/s to +2km/s then to -4km/s, finally rising to +3km/s. A search for cold (T_e_~3000K) ionized gas toward the KL nebula has revealed no measurable differences in T_e_ between this region and other parts of Orion A. The average T_e_ from our data is 8300+/-200K.

We find no significant difference between T_e_ values determined from radio recombination lines and those determined from forbidden optical lines of [O III], although the T_e_ value from Balmer decrement data is markedly lower. The turbulent velocity varies by <5% over the region mapped. On the basis of our 2.45' resolution, high dynamic range 6cm continuum map, we find that the emission falls off faster in the East than in the West.