河外H2O超脉泽源及与其相关的分子谱线的观测和研究

自从在活动星系核NGC4945的视线方向上发现第一个河外H2O超脉泽源以来，迄今为止已发现了19个河外H2O超脉泽源，对与活动星系核成协和河外H2O超脉泽源及分子谱线的观测和研究是探测和研究活动星系核核区中央源，拱核气体和尘埃环性质的非常有效的工具，主要评述对河外H2O超脉泽源及与其相关分子谱线的搜索，观测和理论研究现状。     

OH超脉泽源的模型与统计分析

本文提出OH超脉泽源的一个具体模型,在该模型中OH超脉泽源由非饱和的球型子源组成.在此估算出超脉泽星系致密射电核的尺度和连续谱亮温度,以及OH源距星系核的最小非饱和距离.计算表明,OH超脉泽源所包含的子源数目可能相当大.R_H～log ρ_(25μm)/ρ_(60μm)图、log L_(OH)/L_(IR)～log ρ_(25μm)/ρ_(60μm)图和其它结果显示,有一部分OH超脉泽源很可能是弱饱和的,本文对此作了解释.     

河外H_2O超脉泽辐射

介绍了近年来河外Ｈ２Ｏ超脉泽的主要观测结果。Ｈ２Ｏ超脉泽通常起源于活动星系核中央的拱核盘。它们主要寄生在 Ｓｅｒｆｅｒｔ ２星系或低电离核区。至今为止，已有２０个星系探测到Ｈ２Ｏ超脉泽。脉泽辐射的各向同性光度为１０～６０００Ｌ⊙。所有超脉泽星系显示出核的活动，显然，脉泽是由核活动所产生的射电和Ｘ射线光子或激波来抽运的。Ｈ２Ｏ超脉泽倾向存在于高倾斜度的星系，这使得沿视线上的分子柱密度增高，产生足够大的放大光深。最有可能产生Ｈ２Ｏ超脉泽辐射的星系应有一个包含着射电源的侧向的分子盘以及一个适当的抽运机制。     

河外OH megamaser 星系的观测和研究

本文主要评述对河外OH megamaser星系的搜索、观测和理论研究的现状。到目前为止已发现了31个OH megamaser星系。其中OH megamaser星系IC4553是第一个被发现的,也是唯一进行了VLA-A、MERLIN和VLBI观测的OH megamaser星系。根据目前的理论研究认为。红外辐射抽运引起OH脉泽分子的反转,放大来自核区的射电连续辐射的机制即是生成OH megamaser的机制。     

河外H2O超脉泽辐射

介绍了近年来河外H2O超脉泽的主要观测结果。H2O超脉泽通常起源于活动星系核中央的拱核盘。它们主要寄生在Serfert2星系或低电离核区。至今为止，已有20个星系探测到H2O超脉泽。脉泽辐射的各向同性光度为10－6000L。所有超脉泽星系显示出核的活动，显然，脉泽是由核活动所产生的射电和X射线光子或激波来抽运的。H2O超脉泽倾向存在于高倾斜度的星系，这使得沿视线上的分子柱密度增高，产生足够大的放大光深。最有可能产生H2O超脉泽辐射的星系应有一个包含着射电源的侧向的分子盘以及一个适当的抽运机制。     

水脉泽寄主活动星系核的吸积率(英文)

水超脉泽辐射( 各向同性光度超过 10 个太阳光度) 通常在星系中心最内部的核区( 小于几个秒差距) 被发现,因而活动星系核被认为是其唯一的能量源。同其它没有检测到水脉泽辐射的活动星系核相比,水脉泽寄主活动星系核可能隐含着某种或某些特殊性质。基于此我们调研了已经公开发表的所有水脉泽源的 X 射线观测情况,得到了一个有 X 射线观测研究结果的子样本( 39 个源) 。由它们的 X 射线光度以及估算的黑洞质量,导出了它们的无量纲吸积率( logL2-10keV /LEdd,其中 L2-10keV和 LEdd分别是 2 - 10keV 的固有光度和爱丁顿光度) ; 与距离范围相当的、没有检测到水脉泽的活动星系核样本相比,发现脉泽寄主活动星系核有较高的吸积率。进一步分析比较这两个活动星系核样本的质量吸积率,也发现类似的趋势。此外,为了探索吸积率和水脉泽辐射间可能的内在联系,我们对它们的脉泽光度和吸积率进行了统计分析,然而结果显示二者之间没有明显的相关性。     

水脉泽寄主星系的倾角分析

迄今已经在104个河外星系中检测到水脉泽辐射.同其它没有检测到水脉泽的星系相比,水脉泽星系可能隐含着某种或某些特殊性质.收集了到当前为止(截止2008.09)发表的所有水脉泽星系以及相关的观测资料.计算得到了这些源的星系盘的倾角,并分析讨论了这些水脉泽源星系盘和脉泽盘的倾角可能存在的相关.统计发现只有大约10%的盘脉泽源的星系盘侧面对着我们的视线.然而VLBI对6个盘脉泽源高空间分辨率的成图观测显示那些旋转脉泽盘都是近似侧向的,脉泽盘的倾角都大于80°.对大多数水盘脉泽星系而言,他们的星系盘和脉泽盘方向不一致,这可能间接支持盘脉泽仅仅同星系核相关.为了探讨遮蔽物质的由来和水脉泽辐射的放大机制,对整个水脉泽样本的脉泽光度,X射线吸收气体柱密度和寄主星系倾角的可能相关进行了分析.结果显示高密度的遮蔽物质主要来自于星系核区,而水脉泽辐射的放大更可能发生在围绕核的尘埃盘(～100Pc)或更小尺度的核盘上.     

河外水脉泽的研究进展

人们对河外水脉泽的观测与研究已经30年了。目前已经在约70个河外星系中检测到水脉泽辐射（已公开发表64个）。近年来，河外水脉泽的观测及理论研究十分活跃。重点介绍了目前河外水脉泽的检测及研究进展，包括水脉泽源的分类、水脉泽对研究活动星系核的重要科学价值、水脉泽源的X射线观测研究及其各物理量之间的统计分析结果等。     

IRAS 10173+0828的翘曲拱核环中的 OH超脉泽

对IRAS 10173+0828的拱核环中的OH超脉泽进行MERLIN§高分辨观测,得到了拱核环为翘曲的证据,同时得到了10个速度通道中OH超脉泽的等强度轮廓线向东西方向延伸的角尺寸与其相应速度通道中峰束流量密度成正相关关系.     

EGRET活动星系核的VLBI观测研究

EGRET空间望远镜已检测到66颗高置信度的γ射线活动星系核，这些活动星系核都是射电强的，具有很高的光度，迅速的光学变化，有相当的比例是视超光速源，对γ射线 活动星系核的研究是目前世界上最活跃的前沿课题之一，为了完备EGRET活动是系统核的射电观测图像样本，以便进行更可信的统计研究，对一些缺少射电图像观测的EGRET活动量的核进行了多历元的VLBI和VLA的观测研究，得到了它们的射电结构图像。     

Properties of OH Megamaser Galaxies in the Radio Continuum. II. Data Analysis

The properties of OH megamaser galaxies in the radio continuum are discussed. Many radio sources in OH megamaser galaxies exhibit relatively flat (α ≥ −0.5) radio spectra between frequencies of 1.49 and 8.44 GHz along with high brightness temperatures (T_b ≥ 10⁴ K). In these galaxies the line and radio continuum fluxes are not correlated. The continuum radio emission of OH megamasers is predominantly nonthermal and is associated either with an active nucleus or with compact star formation. The thermal component of the radio emission from these galaxies can be neglected. The observed flat radio spectra and high brightness temperatures imply the existence of an active galactic nucleus, although some megamasers may be associated with compact star formation.__________Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 281–290 (May 2005).     

X-ray emission of OH megamaser galaxies

The properties of OH megamaser galaxies in the x-ray region are discussed. Observational data from the XMM-Newton x-ray satellite are presented for three megamasers, IRAS 01418+1651, IRAS 11010+4107, and IRAS 13218+0552. Based on a sample of OH megamaser galaxies it is shown that the x-ray and OH emission are closely coupled. Megamaser emission also correlates with the column density of the medium and the OH emissivity increases as the square of the column density. The results of this study indicate that in OH megamaser galaxies an active nucleus, x-ray heating of molecules, and saturation of the maser emission can play an important role. In some megamasers, active star formation may be the dominant source. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 171–182 (May 2007).     

Some Features of the X-Ray and Radio Emission from OH Megamaser Galaxies

The properties of OH megamaser galaxies in the x-ray and radio ranges are discussed. Based on a sample of OH megamaser galaxies it is shown that the x-ray emission and the width of the OH radio line are closely related. The line width is also related to the radio emission from megamasers, but it depends only weakly on the infrared emission and this relationship is statistically less significant. The OH line width and the radio and x-ray emissions depend on the central mass of megamasers. There is a weak correlation between the radio and x-ray emissions owing to multiple scattering of synchrotron photons and bursts from the galactic nucleus. These results indicate that an active nucleus can be dominant in OH megamaser galaxies.__________Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 421–430 (August 2005).     

A comprehensive search for extragalactic 6.7-GHz methanol masers

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.     

OH megamaser的光度和它们的宿主星系的红外光度之间的相关关系

利用66个OH megamaser的光度和它们的宿主星系的红外光度之间的相关关系,得到log L(OH)=1.71log L(IR)-17.67,即L(OH)α[L(IR)]1。71.这个结果介于Baan所得到的L(OH)α[L(IR)]2和Kandalian所得到的L(OH)α[L(IR)]1.38的结果之间.由于统计时所取的样本数最多,因此结果更能反映实际情况.进一步,可把这66个OH megamaser分为两类;第一类为L(OH)<102L(?)的小光度OH megamaser,小光度OH megamaser包含了14个OH megamaser;第二类为L(OH)≥102L的大光度OH megamaser,大光度OH megamaser包含了52个OHmegamaser.研究结果表明,小光度OH megamaser的光度和它们的宿主星系的红外光度之间相关关系为L(OH)α[L(IR)]1.43,与Kandalia所得到的结果相接近.大光度OH megamaser的光度和它们的宿主星系的红外光度之间的相关关系为L(OH)α[L(IR)]2,与Baan所得到的结果相一致.     

Oh Megamasers: Circumnuclear Gas in Starbursts

OH megamaser emission is known to be associated with the most central 100 parsecs of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The masers are probing dense concentrations of gas, which presumably have accumulated during the merger event forming the ULIRG. Here we summarize the results from primarily high resolution observations of the 18 cm OH lines in a few OH megamaser galaxies. The maser emission is commonly distributed in disks or tori, but there is also some evidence for other components such as outflows. The appearance of the observed emission strongly depends on the observing resolution, and new theoretical modeling has made important steps toward understanding the observed emission. The radio continuum in OH megamaser galaxies is generally starburst related, and detailed studies of the continuum could perhaps be used to date the merger.     

Spectral energy distribution of OH megamaser galaxies

The properties of OH megamaser galaxies are analyzed. Using the linear dependence of L _OH on L _FIR and the luminosity function for IR galaxies, the expected number of megamasers is estimated. From observational data at many frequencies (from radio waves to x rays), the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 16 objects have been plotted and studied. The SEDs of megamasers have the same form from the radio to the x ray range. Considerable emission is observed in the 3 μm range, which evidently indicates the presence of red giants and supergiants in these objects. Possible reasons for the departure of the slope of the dependence of L _OH on L _FIR from unity are considered. The assumption that collisional pumping may play an important role in the inversion of ground levels of the OH molecule and the saturated gain mechanism in megamasers is confirmed. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 23–36, January–March, 1999.     

First MERLIN Observations of Line Emission from the OH Megamaser toward IRAS 10173＋0828

Many galaxies are thought to contain massive black holes, with masses in excess of ten million solar masses, at their centres and warped circumnu-clear toruses. The best evidence comes from observing gas or masers rotating rapidly within a circumnuclear torus surrounding a central body. Here we report on the first MERLIN observations of line emission from the OH megamaser toward IRAS 10173+0828. The position of peak flux contours of the OH megamaser is consistent with that of the continuum in IRAS 10173+0828. This means that the OH megamaser is a diffuse unsaturated maser which could amplify the diffuse 18 cm continuum emission with an amplification factor of order unity.     

Properties of OH megamaser galaxies in the radio continuum. I. Observational data

Radio observations with the VLA-A radio telescope of 30 OH megamaser galaxies at a frequency of 1.49 GHz are discussed. Radio emission was detected from all 30 of these galaxies. Radio emission was detected from 5 of the 30 objects for the first time. Important results were obtained for 12 galaxies that had previously been little studied in the radio continuum. Additional data at 1.49 GHz were obtained for the remaining 13 objects. The core component of the continuum radio emission predominates in the OH megamaser galaxies.Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 125–138 (February 2005).     

Study of Main Line Intensity Ratio of Extragalactic OH Megamasers

An important observational parameter of the OH megamasers is their 18 cm main line intensity ratio R(H)=T ₁₆₆₇ /T ₁₆₆₅. The R(H) of only 56OH megamasers from the 90 extragalactic objects is found. We have found, log R(H) is correlated with log L(OH). Using (Henkel and Wilson,1990)'s model the optical depths of 1667 MHz maser line of 56 OHmegamasers have been obtained. Here we test the hypothesis that the opacity of a maser should be related to its luminosity, for which data from the 56 OH megamaser sources can be taken. We have also found that log (-τ) is correlated with log L(OH). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.