The volumes of He+ and H+ inHII regions: The Orion Nebula

We obtain ratios of volumes of He⁺ to H⁺ zones forHII regions ionized by associations following a Salpeter IMF using Kurucz's (1979) model atmospheres. It is concluded that the temperature of hottest star in the association is the dominant factor determining the He ionization structure. The selective dust absorption seems to play a secondary role as well as density gradients and spatial distribution of ionizing stars. The results are compared with observations, in particular with the Orion Nebula. A density gradient is found in M42. Filling factors in the range ??5–16 for M43 are obtained.