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Title: HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF WATER MASER EMISSION IN THE ACTIVE GALAXIES NGC 6240 AND M51

Abstract

We present the results of observations of 22 GHz H{sub 2}O maser emission in NGC 6240 and M51 made with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. Two major H{sub 2}O maser features and several minor features are detected toward the southern nucleus of NGC 6240. These features are redshifted by about 300 km s{sup −1} from the galaxy’s systemic velocity and remain unresolved at the synthesized beam size. A combination of our two-epoch observations and published data reveals an apparent correlation between the strength of the maser and the 22 GHz radio continuum emission, implying that the maser excitation relates to the activity of an active galactic nucleus in the southern nucleus rather than star-forming activity. The star-forming galaxy M51 hosts H{sub 2}O maser emission in the center of the galaxy; however, the origin of the maser has been an open question. We report the first detection of 22 GHz nuclear radio continuum emission in M51. The continuum emission is co-located with the maser position, which indicates that the maser arises from nuclear active galactic nucleus-activity and not from star-forming activity in the galaxy.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Natural Science Laboratory, Toyo University, 5-28-20, Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8606 (Japan)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22521753
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 815; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; CORRELATIONS; EXCITATION; GALAXIES; GALAXY CLUSTERS; GALAXY NUCLEI; GHZ RANGE; MASERS; RED SHIFT; RESOLUTION; STAR EVOLUTION; STARS; WATER

Citation Formats

Hagiwara, Yoshiaki, and Edwards, Philip G., E-mail: yhagiwara@toyo.jp, E-mail: Philip.Edwards@csiro.au. HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF WATER MASER EMISSION IN THE ACTIVE GALAXIES NGC 6240 AND M51. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/815/2/124.
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki, & Edwards, Philip G., E-mail: yhagiwara@toyo.jp, E-mail: Philip.Edwards@csiro.au. HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF WATER MASER EMISSION IN THE ACTIVE GALAXIES NGC 6240 AND M51. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/815/2/124
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki, and Edwards, Philip G., E-mail: yhagiwara@toyo.jp, E-mail: Philip.Edwards@csiro.au. 2015. "HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF WATER MASER EMISSION IN THE ACTIVE GALAXIES NGC 6240 AND M51". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/815/2/124.
@article{osti_22521753,
title = {HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF WATER MASER EMISSION IN THE ACTIVE GALAXIES NGC 6240 AND M51},
author = {Hagiwara, Yoshiaki and Edwards, Philip G., E-mail: yhagiwara@toyo.jp, E-mail: Philip.Edwards@csiro.au},
abstractNote = {We present the results of observations of 22 GHz H{sub 2}O maser emission in NGC 6240 and M51 made with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. Two major H{sub 2}O maser features and several minor features are detected toward the southern nucleus of NGC 6240. These features are redshifted by about 300 km s{sup −1} from the galaxy’s systemic velocity and remain unresolved at the synthesized beam size. A combination of our two-epoch observations and published data reveals an apparent correlation between the strength of the maser and the 22 GHz radio continuum emission, implying that the maser excitation relates to the activity of an active galactic nucleus in the southern nucleus rather than star-forming activity. The star-forming galaxy M51 hosts H{sub 2}O maser emission in the center of the galaxy; however, the origin of the maser has been an open question. We report the first detection of 22 GHz nuclear radio continuum emission in M51. The continuum emission is co-located with the maser position, which indicates that the maser arises from nuclear active galactic nucleus-activity and not from star-forming activity in the galaxy.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/815/2/124},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22521753}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 815,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Sun Dec 20 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}