The Intricate Structure of HH 508, the Brightest Microjet in the Orion Nebula

TL;DR

This study uses adaptive optics imaging to analyze the complex structure of HH 508, a bright microjet in the Orion Nebula, revealing its components, possible deflections, and implications for local stellar interactions.

Contribution

It provides high-resolution imaging and analysis of HH 508's structure, suggesting possible jet deflections and the influence of nearby stellar radiation, which advances understanding of microjet morphology in star-forming regions.

Findings

HH 508 has a shorter western component and a longer eastern, knotty component.

The eastern component shows a kink possibly caused by wind/radiation deflection.

An Hα blob may be ejected by the binary proplyd LV 1.

Abstract

We present Magellan adaptive optics H$\alpha$ imaging of HH 508, which has the highest surface brightness among protostellar jets in the Orion Nebula. We find that HH 508 actually has a shorter component to the west, and a longer and knotty component to the east. The east component has a kink at 0.3" from the jet-driving star $\theta^1$ Ori B2, so it may have been deflected by the wind/radiation from the nearby $\theta^1$ Ori B1B5. The origin of both components is unclear, but if each of them is a separate jet, then $\theta^1$ Ori B2 may be a tight binary. Alternatively, HH 508 may be a slow-moving outflow, and each component represents an illuminated cavity wall. The ionization front surrounding $\theta^1$ Ori B2B3 does not directly face $\theta^1$ Ori B1B5, suggesting that the EUV radiation from $\theta^1$ Ori C plays a dominant role in affecting the morphology of proplyds even in the vicinity of $\theta^1$ Ori B1B5. Finally, we report an H$\alpha$ blob that might be ejected by the binary proplyd LV 1.