Polarization of the H2O maser emission from Orion KL at epoch 2011.7

Polarization observations of the H₂O maser emission at 1.35 cm from the active region Orion KL were carried out at epoch 2011.7 on the Svetloe-Zelenchukskaya radio interferometer. The observational data have been processed on the correlator of the QUASAR network. Fragments of the structure have been identified; the line velocities and profile widths and the emission polarization have been determined. The component at the radial velocity V = 7.0 km s^?1 has been taken as a reference one. Its effective size in the Gaussian approximation is 1.5 mas, the axial ratio is Major/Minor = 3.3, and the orientation is PA = 11°. The component V = 7.6 km s^?1 corresponds to a bipolar outflow with an effective size of 6.2 mas, the axial ratio is Major/Minor = 5.3, and the orientation ?32°. The bipolar outflow is 10 mas away from the reference feature in the direction of 173°. The longitudinal velocity components of the NW and SE parts of the bipolar outflow in the local standard of rest are +0.15 and ?0.15 km s^?1, respectively. The degrees of polarization of the emission from the reference feature (7.0 km s^?1) and the bipolar outflow are m = 39 and 52%, respectively. The difference in polarization orientations of both components ?? _?? does not exceed 3°.     

The star-forming region in Orion KL

We have studied the fine structure of the active H₂O supermaser emission region in Orion KL with an angular resolution of 0.1 mas. We found central features suggestive of a bipolar outflow, bullets, and an envelope which correspond to the earliest stage of low-mass star formation. The ejector is a bright compact source ≤0.05 AU in size with a brightness temperature T _b ?10¹⁷ K. The highly collimated bipolar outflow ～30 has a velocity v _ej ?10 km s^?1, a rotation period of ～0.5 yr, a precession period of ～10 yr, and a precession angle of ～33°. Precession gives rise to a jet in the shape of a conical helix. The envelope amplifies the radio emission from the components by about three orders of magnitude at a velocity v=7.65 km s^?1.     

Evolution of the structure of the H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O supermaser outburst region in Orion KL

During the period 1979–1999, we investigated the hyperfine structure of the H₂O supermaser region located in the core of the molecular cloud OMC-1 in Orion KL. The angular resolution is 0.1 mas, which corresponds to 0.045 AU. The detected structure, which consists of a central object, an accretion disk, a bipolar outflow, and an envelope, corresponds to the initial formation stage of a low-mass star. The accretion disk is at the stage of separation into groups of concentric rings. The bipolar outflow is a neutral, highly collimated jet of accreted material that includes H₂O molecules and dust grains in the icy envelope. The injector is a bright compact source with a size <0.05 AU and a brightness temperature T_b≈10¹⁷ K. The velocity of the bipolar outflow is v≈10 km s^?1. The rotation velocity of the jet is v_rot≈1.5 km s^?1. The jet has the shape of a conical helix due to the precession of the rotation axis. Occasionally, dense blobs (comet-shaped bullets) are ejected. The envelope amplifies the radio emission from the structures in a ～0.5 km s^?1 maser window band with velocities v≈7.65 km s^?1 by more than two orders of magnitude.     

An accretion disk,a bipolar outflow,and an envelope—A structure that accompanies the formation of a protostar

We analyze the superfine structure of the supermaser H₂O emission region in Orion KL over the period 1979–1999. The angular resolution reached 0.1 mas, which corresponds to 0.045 AU at a distance to Orion KL of 450 pc. We determined the velocity of the local standard of rest, V_LSR = 7.65 km s^?1. The formation of a protostar is accompanied by a structure that consists of an accretion disk, a bipolar outflow, and a surrounding envelope. The disk is at the stage of separation into protoplanetary rings. The disk plane is warped like the brim of a hat. The disk is 27 AU in diameter and ～0.3 AU in thickness. The rings contain ice granules. Radiation and stellar wind sublimate and blow away the water molecules to form halos around the rings, maser rings. The radiation from the rings is concentrated in the azimuthal plane, and its directivity reaches 10^?3. The relative velocities of the rings located in the central part of the disk 15 AU in diameter correspond to rigid-body rotation, V_rot = ΩR. The rotation period is T ≈ 170 yr. The injector is surrounded by a toroidal structure 1.2 AU in diameter. The diameter of the injected flow does not exceed 0.05 AU. A highly collimated bipolar outflow with a diameter of ～0.1 AU is observed at a distance as large as 3 AU. Precession of the injector axis with a period of ～10 yr forms a spiral flow structure. The flow velocity is ～10 km s^?1. The kinetic energy of the accreting matter and the disk is assumed to be transferred to the bipolar outflow, causing the rotation velocity distribution of the rings to deviate from the Keplerian velocity. The surrounding envelope amplifies the emission from the structure at a velocity of 7.65 km s^?1 in a band of ～0.5 km s^?1 by more than two orders of magnitude, which determines the supermaser emission.     

The Star Formation Structure and H2O Supermaser Radiation in Orion KL

The extra fine structure of the active region of H₂O supermaser emission of Orion KL (angular resolution is 0.1 mas) is studied. A central body / accretion disk / bipolar outflow / bullets / envelope is discovered, that corresponds to the earliest stage of the small-mass star formation. The ejector – a compact bright source ≤0.05 AU, T_b ≈ 10¹⁷K. The bipolar outflow, v_ej ≈ 10km/s is a highly-collimated stream with a ration length/diameter～ 60, rotation period is ～ 0.5 yr, precession period ～ 10 yrs, precession angle ～ 33°. Precession forms a conical helix jet. The envelope amplified radio emission by about three orders of magnitude at velocity at v=7.65 km/s.     

Polarized emission from the ejector in Orion KL

The superfine structure of the active region in Orion KL has been investigated in the H₂O maser line at two epochs, December 23, 1998, and April 24, 1999, with an angular resolution as high as 0.01 mas. A bright central source, a bipolar outflow ejector with two nozzles spaced 0.008 mas apart, has been identified. The impact of the ejected flows causes precession of the rotation axis and gives rise to a jet structure in the shape of diverging helixes of opposite signs. The longitudinal velocities of the flows differ by 0.12 km s^?1. The flow emission at the exit from the nozzles is linearly polarized and oriented at an angle of 22° relative to the rotation axis or parallel to the flow velocities. Their brightness temperature exceeds T _b > 10¹⁸ K. The width of the emission line profiles is 0.43 km s^?1, their relative shift is ±0.06 km s^?1, and the orientations of the polarization planes differ by 45°, which determines the extraordinary rotation of the polarization plane, 25°/km s^?1.     

Structure of the bulge of the galaxy NGC 4258

The superfine structure of the bulge of the galaxy NGC 4258 has been investigated in H₂O maser emission at the epochs on February 4, 2013, and November 29, 2013. The peak intensities of the spectral components reached F ≈ 5 Jy. The emission of the component at v = 476 km s^-1 dominated at the beginning of this period; the second component at v = 487 km s^-1 was observed at the end of the period. The structure is a chain of compact components up to 200 µas or 7mpc in extent. The velocity of the local standard of rest is v _LSR = 482 km s^-1. Two bright compact components with a separation between them Δρ ≈ 35 µas or 1.3 mpc and a pair of components spaced 13 µas apart, whose brightness reaches 30% of the peak value corresponding to a brightness temperature T _b ≈ 1018 K, are located at the center. The sizes of the components are ~2–3 µas. A splitting and a shift of the two pairs of components relative to each other by 8 µas or 0.3 mpc in the 45° direction are observed at the end of the period. The velocity gradient of the structure is dV/dρ = 224 km s^-1 mas^-1, suggesting a solid-body rotation with a period T ≈ 760 years. The compact components correspond to the tangential directions of the arm. Two parallel chains of components corresponding to the tangential directions of the walls of the bipolar outflow carrying away an excess angular momentum are ejected from the central part of the bulge, two sources. The outflow is oriented at an angle X ≈ 15° relative to the disk axis. The brightness of the outflow fragments does not exceed 1.5% of the peak value. The ejection of material from the central part in the northward direction at a level up to 0.2%, T _b ≈ 10¹⁵ K, is observed at the epoch on February 4, 2013, at v = 478 km s^-1. The core structure suggests a double system: parallel disks–vortices spaced 0.25 mpc apart.     

Kinematics of the active region of the quasar 3C 345

The fine structure of the quasar 3C 345 in polarized emission at 7 mm and 2 cm has been investigated. The kinematics is shown to correspond to an anticentrifuge: the thermal plasma of the surrounding space accretes onto the disk, flows to the center, and is ejected in the form of a rotating bipolar outflow that carries away the excess angular momentum as it accumulates. The bipolar outflow consists of a high-velocity central jet surrounded by a low-velocity component. The low-velocity flows are the rotating hollow tubes ejected from the peripheral part of the disk with a diameter ～Ø₁ = 2.2 pc and from the region Ø₂ = 1 pc. The high-velocity jet with a diameter Ø₃ = 0.2 pc is ejected from the central part of the disk, while the remnant falls onto the forming central body. The ejection velocity of the high-velocity flow is v ? 0.06c. At a distance up to ～1 pc, the jet accelerates to an apparent velocity v ～ 8c. Further out, uniform motion is observed within ～2 pc following which deceleration occurs. The jet structure corresponding to a conical diverging helix with an increasing pitch is determined by gasdynamic instability. The counterjet structure is a mirror reflection of the nearby part of the jet. The brightness temperature of the fragment of the high-velocity flow at the exit from the counterjet nozzle is T _b ≈ (10¹²?10¹³) K. The disk inclined at an angle of 60° to the plane of the sky shadows the jet ejector region. Ring currents observed in the tangential directions as parallel chains of components are excited in the rotating flows. The magnetic fields of the rotating bipolar outflow and the disk are aligned and oriented along the rotation axis. The translational motions of the jet and counterjet are parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field, which determines their acceleration or deceleration. The quasar core is surrounded by a thermal plasma. The sizes of the HII region reach ～30 pc. The electron density decreases with increasing distance from the center from N _e ≈ 10⁸ to ≈10⁵ cm^?3. The observed emission from the jet fragments at the exit from the nozzle is partially absorbed by the thermal plasma, is refracted with increasing distance—moves with an apparent superluminal velocity, and decelerates as it goes outside the HII region.     

Evidence for an Ionized Rotating Structure Around RW Aur

Profiles of the UV semiforbidden lines of C III and Si III of RW Aur have been obtained with the HST/STIS. The C III profile shows two high velocity components at v = ± 170 km s^?1 and a central one. The Si III profile is very broad (FWHM = 293 km s^?1) and the high velocity components are unresolved. It is shown that the high velocity components are most probably produced in a rotating belt alike the detected in other sources of bipolar outflows. A radius between 2.7 R _* and the corotation radius (6.1 R _*) is derived and a log T _e (K) ?4.7 and log n _e(cm ^?3) = 11.6 are estimated. The belt is clumpy and the most likely source of heating is local X-rays radiation, probably associated with the release of magnetic energy.     

Estimation of the galactic spiral pattern speed from Cepheids

To study the peculiarities of the Galactic spiral density wave, we have analyzed the space velocities of Galactic Cepheids with propermotions from the Hipparcos catalog and line-of-sight velocities from various sources. First, based on the entire sample of 185 stars and taking R ₀ = 8 kpc, we have found the components of the peculiar solar velocity (u _⊙, v _⊙) = (7.6, 11.6) ± (0.8, 1.1) km s^?1, the angular velocity of Galactic rotation Ω₀ = 27.5 ± 0.5 km s^?1 kpc^?1 and its derivatives Ω′₀ = ?4.12 ± 0.10 km s^?1 kpc^?2 and Ω″₀ = 0.85 ± 0.07 km s^?1 kpc^?3, the amplitudes of the velocity perturbations in the spiral density wave f _R = ?6.8 ± 0.7 and f _θ = 3.3 ± 0.5 km s^?1, the pitch angle of a two-armed spiral pattern (m = 2) i = ?4.6° ± 0.1° (which corresponds to a wavelength λ = 2.0 ± 0.1 kpc), and the phase of the Sun in the spiral density wave χ_⊙ = ?193° ± 5°. The phase χ_⊙ has been found to change noticeably with the mean age of the sample. Having analyzed these phase shifts, we have determined the mean value of the angular velocity difference Ω _p ? Ω, which depends significantly on the calibrations used to estimate the individual ages of Cepheids. When estimating the ages of Cepheids based on Efremov’s calibration, we have found |Ω _p ? Ω₀| = 10 ± 1_stat ± 3_syst km s^?1 kpc^?1. The ratio of the radial component of the gravitational force produced by the spiral arms to the total gravitational force of the Galaxy has been estimated to be f _r0 = 0.04 ± 0.01.     

Analysis of HST ultraviolet spectra for T Tauri stars: RU Lup

The ultraviolet spectra of the star RU Lup obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope are analyzed. Emission lines are identified. The presence of absorption components with a nearly zero residual intensity in the Mg II resonance doublet lines is indicative of mass outflow with a velocity V _∞?300 km s^?1. These lines also exhibit a broad (?1400 km s^?1 at the base) component originating in the star itself. The profiles of the (optically thin) Si II] and Si III]1892 Å lines for the first time unequivocally prove that these lines originate in an accretion shock wave rather than in the chromosphere, with the gas infall velocity being V ₀?400 km s^?1. The intensity ratio of the C IV 1550 Å and Si IV 1400 Å resonance doublet components was found to be close to unity, suggesting a high accreted-gas density, logN ₀>12.5. Molecular H₂ Lyman lines formed in the stellar wind were detected. The H I Lα luminosity of RU Lup was found from their intensities to exceed 10% of L _bol. Radiation pressure in the Lα line on atomic hydrogen may play a significant role in the initial acceleration of stellar-wind matter, but the effect of Lα emission on the dynamics of molecular gas is negligible.     

Trigonometric parallaxes and a kinematically adjusted distance sale for OB associations

By directly comparing the photometric distances of Blaha and Humphreys (1989) (BH) to OB associations and field stars with the corresponding Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes, we show that the BH distance scale is overestimated, on average, by 10–20%. This result is independently corroborated by applying the rigorous statistical-parallax method and its simplified analog (finding a kinematically adjusted rotation-curve solution from radial velocities and proper motions) to a sample of OB associations. These two methods lead us to conclude that the BH distance scale for OB associations should be shrunk, on average, by 11±6 and 24±10%, respectively. Kinematical parameters have been determined for the system of OB associations: u ₀ = 8.2 ± 1.3 km s^?1, v ₀ = 11.9 ± 1.1 km s^?1, w ₀ = 9.5 ± 0.9 km s^?1, σ _u = 8.2 ± 1.1 km s^?1, σ _v = 5.8 ± 0.8 km s^?1, σ _w = 5.0 ± 0.8 km s^?1, Ω₀ = 29.1 ± 1.0 km s^?1 kpc^?1, Ω₀′ = ?4.57 ± 0.20 km s^?1 kpc^?2, and Ω₀″ = 1.32 ± 0.14 km s^?1 kpc^?3. The distance scale for OB associations reduced by 20% matches the short Cepheid distance scale (Berdnikov and Efremov 1985; Sitnik and Mel’nik 1996). Our results are a further argument for the short distance scale in the Universe.     

Investigation of OH and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O masers in the star-forming region G 188.946+0.886

We present the results of our observations of the maser radio emission source G188.946+0.886 in hydroxyl (OH) molecular lines with the radio telescope of the Nançay Observatory (France) and in the H₂O line at λ = 1.35 cm with the RT-22 radio telescope at the Pushchino Observatory (Russia). An emission feature in the 1720-MHz satellite line of the OH ground state has been detected for the first time. The radial velocity of the feature, V _LSR = 3.6 km s^?1, has a “blue” shift relative to the range of emission velocities in the main 1665- and 1667-MHz OH lines, which is 8–11 km s^?1. This suggests a probable connection of the observed feature in the 1720-MHz line with the “blue” wing of the bipolar outflow observed in this region in the CO line. We have estimated the magnetic field strength for three features (0.90 and 0.8 mG for 1665 MHz and 0.25 mG for 1720 MHz) from the Zeeman splitting in the 1665- and 1720-MHz lines. No emission and (or) absorption has been detected in the other 1612-MHz satellite OH line. Three cycles of H₂O maser activity have been revealed. The variability is quasi-periodic in pattern. There is a general tendency for the maser activity to decrease. Some clusters of H2O maser spots can form organized structures, for example, chains and other forms.     

Corrections for the Lutz-Kelker bias for Galactic masers

Based on published data, we have collected information about Galactic maser sources with measured distances. In particular, 44 Galactic maser sources located in star-forming regions have trigonometric parallaxes, proper motions, and radial velocities. In addition, ten more radio sources with incomplete information are known, but their parallaxes have been measured with a high accuracy. For all 54 sources, we have calculated the corrections for the well-known Lutz-Kelker bias. Based on a sample of 44 sources, we have refined the parameters of the Galactic rotation curve. Thus, at R ₀ = 8kpc, the peculiar velocity components for the Sun are (U _⊙, V _⊙, W _⊙) = (7.5, 17.6, 8.4) ± (1.2, 1.2, 1.2) km s^?1 and the angular velocity components are ω ₀ = ?28.7 ± 0.5 km s^?1 kpc^?1, ω ₀′ = +4.17 ± 0.10 km s^?1 kpc^?2, and ω₀″ = ?0.87 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?3. The corresponding Oort constants are A = 16.7 ± 0.6 km s^?1 kpc^?1 and B = ?12.0 ± 1.0 km s^?1 kpc^?1; the circular rotation velocity of the solar neighborhood around the Galactic center is V ₀ = 230 ± 16 km s^?1. We have found that the corrections for the Lutz-Kelker bias affect the determination of the angular velocity ω ₀ most strongly; their effect on the remaining parameters is statistically insignificant. Within themodel of a two-armed spiral pattern, we have determined the pattern pitch angle $i = - 6_.^ \circ 5$ and the phase of the Sun in the spiral wave χ ₀ = 150°.     

Galactic rotation parameters from data on open star clusters

Currently available data on the field of velocities V _r , V _l , V _b for open star clusters are used to perform a kinematic analysis of various samples that differ by heliocentric distance, age, and membership in individual structures (the Orion, Carina-Sagittarius, and Perseus arms). Based on 375 clusters located within 5 kpc of the Sun with ages up to 1 Gyr, we have determined the Galactic rotation parameters ω ₀ = ?26.0 ± 0.3 km s^?1 kpc^?1, ω′₀ = 4.18 ± 0.17 km s^?1 kpc^?2, ω″₀ = ?0.45 ± 0.06 km s^?1 kpc^?3, the system contraction parameter K = ?2.4 ± 0.1 km s^?1 kpc^?1, and the parameters of the kinematic center R ₀ = 7.4 ± 0.3 kpc and l ₀ = 0° ± 1°. The Galactocentric distance R ₀ in the model used has been found to depend significantly on the sample age. Thus, for example, it is 9.5 ± 0.7 and 5.6 ± 0.3 kpc for the samples of young (≤50 Myr) and old (>50 Myr) clusters, respectively. Our study of the kinematics of young open star clusters in various spiral arms has shown that the kinematic parameters are similar to the parameters obtained from the entire sample for the Carina-Sagittarius and Perseus arms and differ significantly from them for the Orion arm. The contraction effect is shown to be typical of star clusters with various ages. It is most pronounced for clusters with a mean age of ≈100 Myr, with the contraction velocity being Kr = ?4.3 ± 1.0 km s^?1.     

The bulk motion of flat galaxies on scales of 100 Mpc in the quadrupole and octupole approximations

The peculiarities of non-Hubble bulk motions of galaxies are studied by analyzing a sample of 1271 thin edge-on spirals with distances determined using a multiparametric Tully-Fisher relation that includes the amplitude of the galaxy rotation, the blue and red diameters, surface brightness, and morphological type. In the purely dipole approximation, the bulk motion of galaxies relative to the cosmic microwave background frame can be described by the velocity of 336±96 km s^?1 in the direction l=321°, b=?1° within radius R _max =10000 km s^?1. An analysis of more complex velocity field models shows that the anisotropy of the Hubble expansion described by the quadrupole term is equal to ～5% on scale lengths R _max=6000–10000 km s^?1. The amplitude within the Local Supercluster (R _max=3000 km s^?1) is as high as ～20%. The inclusion of the octupole component reduces the dipole amplitude to 134±111 km s^?1 on scale lengths of ～8000 km s^?1. The most remarkable feature of the galaxy velocity field within R _max=8000 km s^?1 is the zone of minimum centered on l=80°, b=0° (the constellation of Cygnus) whose amplitude reaches 18% of the mean Hubble velocity.     

Kinematic control of the inertiality of ICRS catalogs

We perform a kinematic analysis of the Hipparcos and TRC proper motions of stars by using a linear Ogorodnikov-Milne model. All of the distant (r>0.2 kpc) stars of the Hipparcos catalog have been found to rotate around the Galactic y axis with an angular velocity of M ₁₃ ^? =?0.36±0.09 mas yr^?1. One of the causes of this rotation may be an uncertainty in the lunisolar precession constant adopted when constructing the ICRS. In this case, the correction to the IAU (1976) lunisolar precession constant in longitude is shown to be Δp₁=?3.26±0.10 mas yr^?1. Based on the TRC catalog, we have determined the mean Oort constants: A=14.9±1.0 and B=?10.8±0.3 km s^?1 kpc^?1. The component of the model that describes the rotation of all TRC stars around the Galactic y axis is nonzero for all magnitudes, M ₁₃ ^? =?0.86±0.11 mas yr^?1.     

Surveying the Local Supercluster Plane

We investigate the distribution and velocity field of galaxies situated in a band of 100 by 20 degrees centered on M87 and oriented along the Local supercluster plane. Our sample amounts 2158 galaxies with radial velocities less than 2000 km s^?1. Of them, 1119 galaxies (52%) have distance and peculiar velocity estimates. About 3/4 of early-type galaxies are concentrated within the Virgo cluster core, most of the late-type galaxies in the band locate outside the virial radius. Distribution of gas-rich dwarfs with M_HI >M_* looks to be insensitive to the Virgo cluster presence. Among 50 galaxy groups in the equatorial supercluster band 6 groups have peculiar velocities about 500–1000 km s^?1 comparable with virial motions in rich clusters. The most cryptic case is a flock of nearly 30 galaxies around NGC4278 (Coma I cloud), moving to us with the mean peculiar velocity of ?840 km s^?1. This cloud (or filament?) resides at a distance of 16.1 Mpc from us and approximately 5 Mpc away from the Virgo center. Galaxies around Virgo cluster exhibit Virgocentric infall with an amplitude of about 500 km s^?1. Assuming the spherically symmetric radial infall, we estimate the radius of the zero-velocity surface to be R₀ = (7.0±0.3) Mpc that yields the total mass of Virgo cluster to be (7.4 ± 0.9)× 10¹⁴M_⊙ in tight agreement with its virial mass estimates. We conclude that the Virgo outskirts does not contain significant amounts of dark mater beyond its virial core.     

Results of a long-term monitoring of the 1.35-cm water-vapor maser source ON 1 (1981–2013)

We present the results of our long-term monitoring of the 1.35-cm water-vapor maser source ON 1 performed at the 22-m radio telescope of the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory from 1981 to 2013. Maser emissionwas observed in a wide range of radial velocities, from ?60 to +60 km s^?1. Variability of the integrated flux with a period of ～9 years was detected. We show that the stable emission at radial velocities of 10.3, 14.7, and 16.5 km s^?1 belongs to compact structures that are composed of maser spots with close radial velocities and that are members of two water-maser clusters, WMC 1 and WMC 2. The detected short-lived emission features in the velocity ranges from ?30 to 0 and from 35 to 40 km s^?1 as well as the high-velocity ones are most likely associated with a bipolar molecular outflow observed in the CO line.     

Kinematics of the galaxy from Cepheids with proper motions from the Gaia DR1 catalogue

A sample of classical Cepheids with known distances and line-of-sight velocities has been supplemented with proper motions from the Gaia DR1 catalogue. Based on the velocities of 260 stars, we have found the components of the peculiar solar velocity vector (U, V, W)_⊙ = (7.90, 11.73, 7.39) ± (0.65, 0.77, 0.62) km s^?1 and the following parameters of the Galactic rotation curve: Ω₀ = 28.84 ± 0.33 km s^?1 kpc^?1, Ω′₀ = ?4.05 ± 0.10 km s^?1 kpc^?2, and Ω″₀ = 0.805 ± 0.067 km s^?1 kpc^?3 for the adopted solar Galactocentric distance R ₀ = 8 kpc; the linear rotation velocity of the local standard of rest is V ₀ = 231 ± 6 km s^?1.