A MERLIN survey of 4.7-GHz excited OH masers in star-forming regions

Phase-referenced observations of 13 star-forming regions in the  ²Π_1/2, J = 1/2  transition of rotationally excited OH at 4765 MHz have been carried out using MERLIN. Two of the regions were also observed at 4750 MHz and one at 4660 MHz. There were 10 maser detections at 4765 MHz and three non-detections. There were no detections at 4750 and 4660 MHz. The 4765-MHz masers have brightness temperatures of  ∼10⁷ K  at MERLIN resolution (∼50 mas). Several cases of 4765-MHz masers overlapping in position and velocity with 1720- and 1665-MHz masers are reported. There are also isolated 4765-MHz masers with peak flux densities ≥30 times that of any ground-state counterpart. Most of the 4.7-GHz maser spots are unresolved at 50-mas angular resolution, but in four of the nearest sources the maser spots are resolved, indicating a characteristic size for 4765-MHz maser regions of ∼100 au. In W3(OH) we discovered that 20 per cent of the 4765-MHz emission comes from a narrow low-brightness filament that stretches north–south for ∼1.0 arcec (∼2200 au) between two previously known 4765-MHz maser spots. The filament appears in projection against the H  ii region and has a brightness temperature of  ∼4 × 10⁵ K  . There are matching absorption features in mainline transitions of highly excited OH. The filament may trace a shock front in a rotating disc.     

Dense Gas Diagnostics: Maser Excitation and Variability

I review a number of diagnostic techniques, based upon the excitation and variability of astrophysical masers, which can be applied to dense gas. In each case, I consider the observations necessary and the amount of interpretation, or modelling, required to complete the analysis of a source, presenting examples of each diagnostic method.     

On the origin of the wide HI absorption line towards Sgr A*

We have imaged a region of ∼ 5′ extent surrounding Sgr A* in the HI 21 cm-line absorption using the Very Large Array. A Gaussian decomposition of the optical depth spectra at positions within ∼ 2′ (∼ 5 pc at 8.5 kpc) of Sgr A* detects a wide line underlying the many narrow absorption lines. The wide line has a mean peak optical depth of 0.32 ± 0.12 centered at a mean velocity of V_1sr = −4 ± 15 km s{−1}. The mean full width at half maximum is 119 ± 42 km s⁻¹. Such a wide line is absent in the spectra at positions beyond ∼ 2′ from Sgr A*. The position-velocity diagrams in optical depth reveal that the wide line originates in various components of the circumnuclear disk (radius ∼ 1.3′ ) surrounding Sgr A*. These components contribute to the optical depth of the wide line in different velocity ranges. The position-velocity diagrams do not reveal any diffuse feature which could be attributed to a large number of HI clouds along the line of sight to Sgr A*. Consequently, the wide line has no implications either to a global population of shocked HI clouds in the Galaxy or to the energetics of the interstellar medium as was earlier thought.     

上海天文台CHAMP掩星资料处理结果的统计分析

随着GPS全球定位系统的发展,已经有可能使用GPS掩星技术反演精确的大气温度,压强和湿度剖面．在概要地描述上海天文台(SHAO)开发的GPS掩星数据资料反演地球大气流程模块以后,分析了2002年8月1日至2002年8月17日期间2700多次CHAMP掩星数据资料的结果,并且与欧洲中尺度天气预报分析(ECMWF)资料进行比较和统计分析,讨论了CHAMP掩星数据的质量,并分析了CHAMP掩星数据的观测误差和ECMWF的分析模型误差．提出了一种优化的统计分析方法,它能更客观地反映GPS掩星技术的外部符合．统计分析结果表明GPS掩星数据将有可能成为数值天气预报和长期监测地球气候的非常有价值的数据资料．