A VLT/CRIRES+ study of helium 1.083μm absorption features towards the inner Orion Nebula

JWST NIRCam F115W observations towards the inner Orion Nebula revealed a diverse array of previously unknown dark features. The most likely cause was absorption or suppressed emission of the helium 1.083 μm triplet which lies in that filter. We have obtained VLT/CRIRES+ high-resolution spectrographic observations over a selection of different dark targets, confirming that the features are indeed explained by a reduction in the flux of the helium 1.083 μm triplet, a reduction that is fairly uniform across the line. The Orion Nebula is a blister H ii region, with a dense, bright ionised layer on the far side from the observer near the Orion A molecular cloud and lower density gas elsewhere. Using a simple radiative transfer model, we show that dark features arise when emission from the dense layer is absorbed by intermediate density helium (e.g. in clumps, globules, or winds from objects like proplyds) on the near side of the dense layer.