AN X-RAY SURVEY OF THE YOUNG STELLAR POPULATION OF THE LYNDS 1641 AND IOTA ORIONIS REGIONS

We present an XMM-Newton survey of the part of the Orion A cloud south of the Orion Nebula. This survey includes the Lynds 1641 (L1641) dark cloud, a region of the Orion A cloud with very few massive stars and hence a relatively low ambient UV flux, and the region around the O9 III star [iota] Orionis. In addition to proprietary data, we used archival XMM data of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) to extend our analysis to a major fraction of the Orion A cloud. We estimate a distance of 300-320 pc for this cluster showing that it is in the foreground of the Orion A cloud. Another cluster rich in Class III stars is located in L1641 South and appears to be a slightly older cluster embedded in the Orion A cloud. Furthermore, other evolved Class III stars are found north of the ONC toward NGC 1977.