Supernovae in the Orion: the missing link in the star forming history of the region

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model linking a supernova explosion 6 million years ago to the current fragmented star-forming populations in the Orion Complex, explaining its expansion and star formation history.

Contribution

It introduces a new model connecting a supernova event to the structural evolution and star formation in the Orion Complex.

Findings

Supernova explosion 6 Myr ago influenced Orion's structure.

Barnard's loop is consistent with supernova remnant expansion.

Supernova shockwave contributed to massive cluster formation.

Abstract

The Orion Complex is a notable star forming region, that it is fragmented into several different populations that have substantial difference in their phase space. I propose a model that attempts to explain the how the Complex has evolved to this current configuration. In this model, the large scale expansion can be attributable to a supernova that has exploded 6 Myr ago. The remnant of which can be seen as Barnard's loop, as the center of the expansion is consistent with the geometrical center of the HII bubble. This is similar to the HII bubble and the ballistic expansion that is associated with $\lambda$ Ori, a region which has also been a site of an ancient supernova. Assuming that the Orion Complex has originally been forming as one long filament spanning from the bottom of Orion A to $\psi^2$ Ori (or, potentially, as far as $\lambda$ Ori), Barnard's loop supernova could have split the cloud, which lead to the formation of Orion C \& D. Furthermore, the shockwave that has propagated into the filament could have swept along the gas through several pc, which lead to the formation of the singularly most massive cluster in the Solar Neighborhood, the ONC. I also discuss other related nearby events, such as the formation of the Monogem ring, and various runaways that have been ejected from the Orion Complex.