THE ARECIBO METHANOL MASER GALACTIC PLANE SURVEY. III. DISTANCES AND LUMINOSITIES

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/706/2/1609· OSTI ID:21378082

Pandian, J D; Menten, K M ^[1]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany)

We derive kinematic distances to the 86 6.7 GHz methanol masers discovered in the Arecibo Methanol Maser Galactic Plane Survey. The systemic velocities of the sources were derived from {sup 13}CO (J = 2-1), CS (J = 5-4), and NH{sub 3} observations made with the ARO Submillimeter Telescope, the APEX telescope, and the Effelsberg 100 m telescope, respectively. Kinematic distance ambiguities were resolved using H I self-absorption with H I data from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey. We observe roughly three times as many sources at the far distance compared to the near distance. The vertical distribution of the sources has a scale height of approx 30 pc, and is much lower than that of the Galactic thin disk. We use the distances derived in this work to determine the luminosity function of 6.7 GHz maser emission. The luminosity function has a peak at approximately 10{sup -6} L{sub sun}. Assuming that this luminosity function applies, the methanol maser population in the Large Magellanic Cloud and M33 is at least 4 and 14 times smaller, respectively, than in our Galaxy.

• OSTI ID: 21378082
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 706; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ALCOHOLS
AMMONIA
AMPLIFIERS
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
GALAXIES
HEIGHT
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LUMINOSITY
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
MASERS
METHANOL
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCALE HEIGHT
SELF-ABSORPTION
SORPTION
TELESCOPES