KINETIC TEMPERATURES OF THE DENSE GAS CLUMPS IN THE ORION KL MOLECULAR CORE

High angular-resolution images of the J = 18(K)-17(K) emission of CH(3)CN in the Orion KL molecular core were observed with the Submillimeter Array (SMA). Our high-resolution observations clearly reveal that CH(3)CN emission originates mainly from the Orion Hot Core and the Compact Ridge, both within similar to 15 '' of the warm and dense part of Orion KL. The clumpy nature of the molecular gas in Orion KL can also be readily seen from our high-resolution SMA images. In addition, a semi-open cavity-like kinematic structure is evident at the location between the Hot Core and the Compact Ridge. We performed excitation analysis with the population diagram method toward the Hot Core, IRc7, and the northern part of the Compact Ridge. Our results disclose a non-uniform temperature structure on small scales in Orion KL, with a range of temperatures from 190-620 K in the Hot Core. Near the Compact Ridge, the temperatures are found to be 170-280 K. Comparable CH(3)CN fractional abundances of 10(-8) to 10(-7) are found around both in the Hot Core and the Compact Ridge. Such high abundances require that a hot gas phase chemistry.