Fourier transform spectroscopy of the Orion molecular cloud

Abstract

The Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC) is the nearest, and thus most studied, star forming region to the Earth. To date, most of the studies conducted at submillimetre wavelenths have focused on the spectral line analysis using high resolution heterodyne recievers. However, the role of dust, which is known to be important in the evolution of the interstellar medium, can only be studied through its continuum emission. This thesis presents the first results obtained using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to study, simultaneously, the continuum and line components of emission on the OMC.