Odin water mapping in the Orion KL region

New results from water mapping observations of the Orion KL region using the submm/mm wave satellite Odin (2.1"² beam size at 557 GHz), are presented. The ortho-H2O JK(+)K(-) = l1.0 → l0.1 ground state transition was observed in a 7"² × 7"² rectangular grid with a spacing of 1"², while the same line of H2 18O was measured in two positions, Orion KL itself and 2"² south of Orion KL. In the main water species, the KL molecular outflow is largely resolved from the ambient cloud and it is found to have an extension of 60"³-110"³. The H2O outflow profile exhibits a rather striking absorption-like asymmetry at the line centre. Self-absorption in the near (or "blue") part of the outflow (and possibly in foreground quiescent halo gas) is tentatively suggested to play a role here. We argue that the dominant part of the KL H2 18O outflow emission emanates from the compact (size ∼15"³) low-velocity flow and here estimate an H2O abundance of circa 10-5 compared to all H2 in the flow - an order of magnitude below earlier estimates of the H2O abundance in the shocked gas of the high-velocity flow. The narrow ambient cloud lines show weak velocity trends, both in the N-S and E-W directions. H2 18O is detected for the first time in the southern position at a level of ∼0.15 K and we here estimate an H2O abundance of (1-8) × 10-8. (Note: Some of the scientific symbols can not be represented correctly in the abstract. Please read with caution and refer to the original publication.)