Million-Degree Plasma Pervading the Extended Orion Nebula

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a million-degree plasma extending into the Orion Nebula, originating from stellar winds, suggesting such phenomena are common in our galaxy.

Contribution

It provides the first X-ray evidence of hot plasma in the Orion Nebula's extended regions, linking stellar winds to widespread galactic outflows.

Findings

Detection of 1.7-2.1 million K plasma in Orion Nebula

Stellar winds from Trapezium drive hot plasma flows

Implication of widespread X-ray outflows in the galaxy

Abstract

Most stars form as members of large associations within dense, very cold (10-100 K) molecular clouds. The nearby giant molecular cloud in Orion hosts several thousand stars of ages less than a few million years, many of which are located in or around the famous Orion Nebula, a prominent gas structure illuminated and ionized by a small group of massive stars (the Trapezium). We present X-ray observations obtained with the X-ray Multi-Mirror satellite XMM-Newton revealing that a hot plasma with a temperature of 1.7-2.1 million K pervades the southwest extension of the nebula. The plasma, originating in the strong stellar winds from the Trapezium, flows into the adjacent interstellar medium. This X-ray outflow phenomenon must be widespread throughout our Galaxy.