High Angular Resolution Mid-Infrared Imaging of Young Stars in Orion BN/KL

We present Keck LWS images of the Orion BN/KL star forming region obtained inthe first multi-wavelength study to have 0.3-0.5" resolution from 4.7 to 22microns. The young stellar objects designated infrared source-n and radiosource-I are believed to dominate the BN/KL region. We have detected extendedemission from a probable accretion disk around source-n but infer a stellarluminosity on the order of only 2000 Lsun. Although source-I is believed to bemore luminous, we do not detect an infrared counterpart even at the longestwavelengths. However, we resolve the closeby infrared source, IRc2, into an arcof knots ~1000 AU long at all wavelengths. Although the physical relation ofsource-I to IRc2 remains ambiguous, we suggest these sources mark a highdensity core (10^7-10^8 pc^-3 over 1000 AU) within the larger BN/KL starforming cluster. The high density may be a consequence of the core being youngand heavily embedded. We suggest the energetics of the BN/KL region may bedominated by this cluster core rather than one or two individual sources.