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1.
The Australia Telescope National Facility Mopra millimetre telescope has been used to search for 95.1-GHz class I methanol masers towards 62 6.6-GHz class II methanol masers. A total of 26 95.1-GHz masers were detected, 18 of these being new discoveries. Combining the results of this search with observations reported in the literature, a near complete sample of 66 6.6-GHz class II methanol masers has been searched in the 95.1-GHz transition, with detections towards 38 per cent (25 detections; not all of the sources studied in this paper qualify for the complete sample, and some of the sources in the sample were not observed in the present observations).
There is no evidence of an anticorrelation between either the velocity range, or peak flux density of the class I and II transitions, contrary to suggestions from previous studies. The majority of class I methanol maser sources have a velocity range that partly overlaps with the class II maser transitions. The presence of a class I methanol maser associated with a class II maser source is not correlated with the presence (or absence) of main-line OH or water masers. Investigations of the properties of the infrared emission associated with the maser sources shows no significant difference between those class II methanol masers with an associated class I maser and those without. This may be consistent with the hypothesis that the objects responsible for driving class I methanol masers are generally not those that produce main-line OH, water or class II methanol masers.  相似文献   

2.
From a search of more than 80 southern class II methanol maser sites, we report measurements of 22 masers at 107.0 GHz and four at 156.6 GHz, mostly new discoveries. Class II sites, recognized by their strong emission at the 6.6-GHz methanol transition, are indirect indicators of new-born massive stars, and several hundred have been documented; only a handful of these had previously been found to exhibit maser emission at the 107.0- or 156.6-GHz transition. The present survey increases the number of known 107.0-GHz masers to 25, providing a sufficiently large sample to assess their general properties. For the stronger ones, our position measurements confirm that, to an accuracy of 5 arcsec, they coincide with the dominant maser emission at 6.6 GHz. Intensity variations exceeding 50 per cent have occurred in some 107.0-GHz maser features that we observed in both 1996 October and 1998 June.
We find that masers are rare at the 156.6-GHz transition. Two new detections increase the total now known to four. Each 156.6-GHz maser is substantially weaker than its corresponding 107.0-GHz maser. Despite the scarcity of masers, our 156.6-GHz spectra at most observed sites show emission, but apparently of a quasi-thermal variety; it is usually accompanied by somewhat weaker thermal emission at 107.0 GHz, and the intensity ratio of the transitions allows us to begin exploration of the physical characteristics of the small molecular clouds (diameter less than 60 mpc) at these sites. The thermal emission thus provides estimates of the environmental conditions that are needed to support strong masing from spots that are apparently embedded within these clouds.  相似文献   

3.
We present single-baseline Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) measurements of excited OH 6.0-GHz masers and methanol 6.7-GHz masers for the source W3(OH). These allow us to compare the positions of individual maser spots of these two species to ∼15 mas accuracy for the first time, and to compare these with previously published positions of ground-state OH masers near 1.7 GHz and excited-state OH masers near 4.7 GHz. There is a strong association between OH 6035-MHz and 1665-MHz masers. OH and methanol have very similar distributions, but associations of individual masers are relatively rare: most methanol 6.7-GHz masers are within 100 mas of OH 6.0-GHz masers, but only four methanol masers are within 15 mas of an OH 6.0-GHz maser. There are no correspondences of either species with excited OH 4.7-GHz masers. Zeeman splitting of the 6.0-GHz OH lines indicates an ordered magnetic field ranging from 3.2 to 14.4 mG. The magnetic fields estimated from co-propagating masers such as 6035 and 1665 MHz are generally in good agreement with each other.  相似文献   

4.
Images of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission from W3(OH) made at 50- and 100-mas angular resolution with the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) are presented. The masers lie across the western face of the ultracompact H  ii region in extended filaments which may trace large-scale shocks. There is a complex interrelation between the 6.7-GHz methanol masers and hydroxyl (OH) masers at 1.7 and 4.7 GHz. Together the two species trace an extended filamentary structure that stretches at least 3100 au across the face of the ultracompact H  ii region. The dominant 6.7-GHz methanol emission coincides with the radio continuum peak and is populated by masers with broad spectral lines. The 6.7-GHz methanol emission is elongated at position angle 50° with a strong velocity gradient, and bears many similarities to the methanol maser disc structure reported in NGC 7538. It is surrounded by arcs of ground state OH masers at 1.7 GHz and highly excited OH masers at 13.44 GHz, some of which have the brightest methanol masers at their focus. We suggest that this region hosts the excitation centre for the ultracompact H  ii region.  相似文献   

5.
We report the discovery of H2 line emission associated with 6.67-GHz methanol maser emission in massive star-forming regions. In our UNSWIRF/AAT observations, H2 1–0 S(1) line emission was found associated with an ultracompact H  ii region IRAS 14567–5846 and isolated methanol maser sites in G318.95–0.20 , IRAS 15278–5620 and IRAS 16076–5134 . Owing to the lack of radio continuum in the latter three sources, we argue that their H2 emission is shock excited, while it is UV-fluorescently excited in IRAS 14567–5846 . Within the positional uncertainties of 3 arcsec, the maser sites correspond to the location of infrared sources. We suggest that 6.67-GHz methanol maser emission is associated with hot molecular cores, and propose an evolutionary sequence of events for the process of massive star formation.  相似文献   

6.
Near-infrared (NIR) images at I , J , H and K bands were made of 12 southern 6.7-GHz methanol maser sources. Astrometry accurate to 0.5 arcsec was obtained. The positions of known H  ii regions, water masers, hydroxyl masers, and mid- and far-infrared objects in the region are examined in order to try to determine the nature of the methanol maser source. Deeply embedded NIR sources were found close to seven out of 14 maser sites. In three cases, no NIR source, H  ii region, water maser or hydroxyl maser could be found in likely association with the methanol masers.  相似文献   

7.
A southern hemisphere survey of methanol emission sources in two millimetre-wave transitions has been carried out using the ATNF Mopra millimetre telescope. 16 emission sources have been detected in the 31–40 A+ transition of methanol at 107 GHz, including six new sources exhibiting class II methanol maser emission features. Combining these results with the similar northern hemisphere survey, a total of eleven 107-GHz methanol masers have been detected. A survey of the methanol emission in the 00–1−1 E transition at 108 GHz has resulted in the detection of 16 sources; one of them showing maser characteristics. This is the first methanol maser detected at 108 GHz, presumably of class II. The results of large velocity gradient statistical equilibrium calculations confirm the classification of these new sources as class II methanol masers.  相似文献   

8.
High spatial resolution radio continuum and 6.67-GHz methanol spectral line data are presented for methanol masers previously detected by Walsh et al. (1997). Methanol maser and/or radio continuum emission is found in 364 cases towards IRAS -selected regions. For those sources with methanol maser emission, relative positions have been obtained to an accuracy of typically 0.05 arcsec, with absolute positions accurate to around 1 arcsec. Maps of selected sources are provided. The intensity of the maser emission does not seem to depend on the presence of a continuum source. The coincidence of water and methanol maser positions in some regions suggests there is overlap in the requirements for methanol and water maser emission to be observable. However, there is a striking difference between the general proximity of methanol and water masers to both cometary and irregularly shaped ultracompact (UC) H  ii regions, indicating that, in other cases, there must be differing environments conducive to stimulating their emission. We show that the methanol maser is most likely present before an observable UC H  ii region is formed around a massive star and is quickly destroyed as the UC H  ii region evolves. There are 36 out of 97 maser sites that are linearly extended. The hypothesis that the maser emission is found in a circumstellar disc is not inconsistent with these 36 maser sites, but is unlikely. It cannot, however, account for all other maser sites. An alternative model which uses shocks to create the masing spots can more readily reproduce the maser spot distributions.  相似文献   

9.
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to search for 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission towards 87 galaxies. We chose the target sources using several criteria, including far-IR luminosities and the presence of known OH megamasers. In addition, we searched for methanol masers in the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253, making a full spectral-line synthesis image. No emission was detected in any of the galaxies, with detection limits ranging from 25 to 75 mJy. This is surprising, given the close association of OH and methanol masers in Galactic star formation regions, and significantly constrains models of OH megamaser emission. This absence of maser emission may be a result of low methanol abundances in molecular clouds in starburst galaxies.  相似文献   

10.
The University of Tasmania Mt Pleasant 26-m and Ceduna 30-m radio telescopes have been used to search for 6.7-GHz class II methanol masers towards 200 GLIMPSE ( The Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire ) sources. The target regions were selected on the basis of their mid-infrared colours as being likely to be young high-mass star formation regions and are either bright at 8.0 μm, or have extreme [3.6]–[4.5] colour. Methanol masers were detected towards 38 sites, nine of these being new detections. The prediction was that approximately 20 new 6.7-GHz methanol masers would be detected within 3.5 arcmin of the target GLIMPSE sources, but this is the case for only six of the new detections. A number of possible reasons for the discrepancy between the predicted and actual number of new detections have been investigated. It was not possible to draw any firm conclusions as to the cause, but it may be because many of the target sources are at an evolutionary phase prior to that associated with 6.7-GHz methanol masers. Through comparison of the spectra collected as part of this search with those in the literature, the average lifetime of individual 6.7-GHz methanol maser spectral features is estimated to be around 150 yr, much longer than is observed for 22-GHz water masers.  相似文献   

11.
We investigate the possibility of interstellar masers in transitions of the methanol isotopomers CH3OD, 13CH3OH and CH318OH, and of CH3SH. The model used, in which masers are pumped through the first and second torsionally excited states by IR radiation, has accounted successfully for the Class II masers in main species methanol, 12CH316OH. Several potential maser candidates are identified for CH3OD, their detectability depending on the enrichment of this species in star-forming regions. In 13CH3OH and CH318OH the best maser candidates are direct counterparts of the well-known 6.7- and 12.2-GHz methanol masers, but the lower interstellar abundance of these substituted species means that the expected brightness is greatly reduced. The maser candidates in CH3SH are also weak. By comparing these species we find that the large b -component of the dipole moment in methanol plays a significant role in its propensity to form masers, as does the strong torsion–rotation interaction due to the light hydroxyl frame. Thus the exceptional brightness of interstellar methanol masers is due to a favourable combination of molecular properties as well as high interstellar abundance.  相似文献   

12.
Class II methanol masers are believed to be associated with high-mass star formation. Recent observations by Walsh et al. and Phillips et al. reported a very low detection rate of radio continuum emission toward a large sample of 6.7-GHz methanol masers. These results raise questions about the evolutionary phase and/or the mass range of the exciting stars of the masers. Here we report the results of a VLA search for 8.4-GHz continuum emission from the area around five Class II methanol masers, four of which were not detected by Walsh et al. at 8.6 GHz. Radio continuum emission was detected in all five fields although only two of the nine maser spot groups in the five fields were found to be superimposed on radio continuum sources that appear to be ultra-compact H  ii (UCH  ii ) regions. This suggests that continuum counterparts for some masers might be found in further surveys for which the sensitivity level is lower than  1 mJy beam−1  . Considering our results as well as observations from other studies of methanol masers we conclude that masers without radio continuum counterparts are most likely associated with high-mass stars in a very early evolutionary stage, either prior to the formation of a UCH  ii region or when the H  ii region is still optically thick at centimetre wavelengths. With one exception all maser spot groups in the five fields were found to be associated with mid-infrared objects detected in the Midcourse Space Experiment survey.  相似文献   

13.
We report high spatial and spectral resolution measurements of masers towards R Aqr and H1−36, both of which are examples of the sub-class of symbiotic stars that contain a long-period Mira-type variable. Our observations have resulted in the first detection of 321-GHz H2O maser action towards a symbiotic Mira — R Aqr. Comparison with simultaneous 22-GHz H2O maser data suggests that the masers do not have the same properties as those in the circumstellar envelopes of field Miras. R Aqr's 22-/321-GHz peak flux density and luminosity ratios are low, as is the line width ratio. Continuum and spectral-line maps indicate that the 22-GHz maser and free–free emission are aligned. Three mechanisms can reproduce the data with varying degrees of success. All three lead naturally to normal levels of maser emission in SiO and 321-GHz H2O and anomalously weak OH and 22-GHz H2O masers. In the most convincing model, UV radiation and a fast wind from the companion remove the Mira's envelope of dusty, molecular gas, leaving a relatively small cavity of dense, neutral material within a large, ionized nebula. Excitation temperatures suggest that 321-GHz masers are normally excited close to the Mira whilst 22-GHz masers are more remote; in R Aqr, therefore, the 22-GHz masers do not form under optimum conditions. Instead, we see weak and narrow lines that form closer to the Mira, consistent with our high-resolution maps.  相似文献   

14.
Positions with subarcsecond accuracy have been measured for seven 22-GHz H2O masers associated with H  ii regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC); two of the masers are new detections. Initial position measurements were obtained with the 70-m antenna of the Canberra NASA Deep Space Network during a period of more than two years in which the antenna was used to monitor the maser emission. The positions were further improved using 22-GHz observations involving three antennas of the Australia Telescope Compact Array.
The positions have been compared with those of 1.6-GHz continuum emission and other LMC masers (of OH and CH3OH). The H2O maser positions range from within 1 arcsec (270 mpc) of the centre of a compact H  ii component to beyond the boundary of significant continuum emission. Three of the four masers located near continuum peaks are close to OH masers. In two cases the positional agreement is better than 0.2 arcsec (53 mpc); in the third case the agreement is worse (0.9 arcsec) but the positions of the individual H2O features appear to be spread over more than 1 arcsec. The velocities of the OH masers are within the spread of the H2O velocities. The three H2O masers offset from continuum centres are located  3–7 arcsec  from optical or infrared phenomena probably associated with very early stages of star formation; no other molecular masers are known in these directions.  相似文献   

15.
The European VLBI Network (EVN) has been used to make phase referenced, wide-field (several arcminute) spectral line observations of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission towards W51. In the W51 Main region, the bulk of the methanol is offset from an UCHii region. This probably indicates the methanol emission arises at the interface of the expanding UCHii region and not from an edge-on circumstellar disc, as previously suggested. Near the W51 IRS2 region, the methanol emission is associated with a very compact, extremely embedded source supporting the hypothesis that methanol masers trace the earliest stages of massive star formation. As well as these two well-studied sites of star formation, many previously unknown regions star formation are detected, demonstrating that methanol masers are powerful means of detecting young massive stars.  相似文献   

16.
We present the results of our monitoring of the semiregular variable HU Pup in the 1612, 1665, and 1667-MHz OH lines and the 22.235-GHz H2O line. The maser emission in the 1612-MHz satellite line has been detected from this source for the first time. Strong variability of the emission has been observed in all three OH lines, including the radial-velocity drift of the two most intense features. Zeeman splitting components have been found. The longitudinal magnetic field strength has been estimated to be 1.0, 1.6 and 2.7, 3.2 mG in the 1665 and 1667-MHz lines, respectively. Our OH and H2O observations have revealed fairly stable structures in the masing region and have allowed us to estimate the variability period of the maser emission (~1.5 yr). A possible model of the maser source in HU Pup is discussed.  相似文献   

17.
Near-infrared photometry was performed on 56 southern 6.7-GHz methanol maser sources. A simple spherically symmetric model of the radiative transfer through a dust shell was developed and used to study the conditions in the dust cloud in which the masers are produced. The parameters investigated were the size of the cloud, the spectral type of the embedded star, the optical depth of the dust cloud and the dust density distribution. It was found that the infrared colours of the models have a complex dependence on the parameters and that no unique combination of parameter values explains the spectral energy distribution of any particular source. The model effectively reproduces the far-infrared ( IRAS ) colours but cannot simultaneously explain the near-infrared colours for any of the observed sources.  相似文献   

18.
We have used the ATNF Mopra antenna and the SEST antenna to search in the directions of several class II methanol maser sources for emission from six methanol transitions in the frequency range 85–115 GHz. The transitions were selected from excitation studies as potential maser candidates. Methanol emission at one or more frequencies was detected from five of the maser sources, as well as from Orion KL. Although the lines are weak, we find evidence of maser origin for three new lines in G345.01+1.79, and possibly one new line in G9.62+0.20.
The observations, together with published maser observations at other frequencies, are compared with methanol maser modelling for G345.01+1.79 and NGC 6334F. We find that the majority of observations in both sources are consistent with a warm dust (175 K) pumping model at hydrogen density ∼106 cm−3 and methanol column density ∼ 5×1017 cm−2. The substantial differences between the maser spectra in the two sources can be attributed to the geometry of the maser region.  相似文献   

19.
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make high-resolution images of the 6.7-GHz 51 → 60A+ maser transition of methanol towards 33 sources in the Galactic plane. Including the results from 12 methanol sources in the literature, we find that 17 out of 45 sources have curved or linear morphology. Most of the 17 have a velocity gradient along the line, which is consistent with masers lying in an edge-on circumstellar disc surrounding a massive star. We also made simultaneous continuum observations of the sources at 8.6 GHz, in order to image any associated H  ii region. 25 of the sources are associated with an ultracompact H  ii region, with a detection limit of ∼0.5 mJy beam−1. We argue that the methanol sources without an associated H  ii region represent less massive embedded stars, not an earlier stage in the lifetime of the star, as previously suggested.  相似文献   

20.
The class II methanol maser source G9.62+0.20E undergoes periodic flares at both 6.7 and 12.2 GHz. The flare starting in 2001 October was observed at seven epochs over three months using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 12.2 GHz. High angular resolution images (beam size  ∼1.7 × 0.6 mas  ) were obtained, enabling us to observe changes in 16 individual maser components. It was found that while existing maser spots increased in flux density, no new spots developed and no changes in morphology were observed. This rules out any mechanism which disturbs the masing region itself, implying that the flares are caused by a change in either the seed or pump photon levels. A time delay of one to two weeks was observed between groups of maser features. These delays can be explained by light travel time between maser groups. The regularity of the flares can possibly be explained by a binary system.  相似文献   

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