Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:27:20.891Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Powerful Water Masers in Active Galactic Nuclei

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Philip R. Maloney
Philip R. Maloney*
Affiliation:
CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309-0389; [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Luminous water maser emission in the 616–523 line at 22GHz has been detected from two dozen galaxies. In all cases the emission is confined to the nucleus and has been found only in AGN, in particular, in Type 2 Seyferts and LINERs. I argue that most of the observed megamaser sources are powered by X-ray irradiation of dense gas by the central engine. After briefly reviewing the physics of these X-Ray Dissociation Regions, I discuss in detail the observations of the maser disk in NGC 4258, its implications, and compare alternative models for the maser emission. I then discuss the observations of the other sources that have been imaged with VLBI to date, and how they do or do not fit into the framework of a thin, rotating disk, as in NGC 4258. Finally, I briefly discuss future prospects, especially the possibility of detecting other water maser transitions.

Keywords

galaxies: Seyfertmasersmolecular linesradio lines: galaxiesaccretion, accretion disks
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , 2002 , pp. 401 - 421
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 2002

References

Abramowicz, M. A., Chen, X., Kato, S., Lasota, J.-P., & Regev, O. 1995, ApJ, 438, L37 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Antonucci, R. 1993, ARA&A, 31, 473 Google Scholar
Baan, W. A., & Haschick, A. D. 1996, ApJ, 473, 269 Google Scholar
Balbus, S. A., & Hawley, J. F. 1991, ApJ, 376, 214 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braatz, J. A., Wilson, A. S., & Henkel, C. 1996, ApJS, 106, 51 Google Scholar
Braatz, J. A., Wilson, A. S., & Henkel, C. 1997, ApJS, 110, 321 Google Scholar
Bragg, A. E., Greenhill, L. J., Moran, J. M., & Henkel, C. 2000, ApJ, 535, 73 Google Scholar
Brock, D., Joy, M., Lester, D. F., Harvey, P. M., & Ellis, H. B. Jr., 1988, ApJ, 329, 208 Google Scholar
Cecil, G., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Veilleux, S., & Filippenko, A. V. 2001, ApJ, 555, 338 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cernicharo, J., Thum, C., Hein, H., John, D., Garcia, P., & Mattioco, F. 1990, A&A, 231, L15 Google Scholar
Cheung, A. C., Rank, D. M., Townes, C. H., Thornton, D. D., & Welch, W. J. 1969, Nature, 221, 626 Google Scholar
Churchwell, E., Witzel, A., Huchtmeier, W., Pauliny-Toth, I., Roland, J., & Suben, W. 1977, A&A, 54, 969 Google Scholar
Claussen, M. J., & Lo, K.-Y. 1986, ApJ, 308, 592 Google Scholar
Claussen, M. J., Heiligman, G. M., & Lo, K.-Y. 1984, Nature, 310, 298 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Claussen, M. J., Diamond, P. J., Braatz, J. A., Wilson, A. S., & Henkel, C. 1998, ApJ, 500, L129 Google Scholar
Collison, A. J., & Watson, W. D. 1995, ApJ, 452, L103 Google Scholar
Conway, J. E. 1999, in Highly Redshifted Radio Lines, eds C. L. Carilli, S. J. E. Radford, K. M. Menten, & G. I. Langston, (San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific), 259 Google Scholar
Curran, S. J., Johansson, L. E. B., Rydbeck, G., & Booth, R.S. 1998, A&A, 338, 863 Google Scholar
de Jong, T. 1973, A&A, 26, 297 Google Scholar
Desch, S. J., Wallin, B. K., & Watson, W. D. 1998, ApJ, 496, 775 Google Scholar
Done, C., Madejski, G. M., & Smith, D. A. 1996, ApJ, 463, L63 Google Scholar
dos Santos, P. M., & Lepine, J. R. D. 1979, Nature, 278, 34 Google Scholar
Duric, N., & Seaquist, E. R. 1988, ApJ, 326, 574 Google Scholar
Elitzur, M. 1992, Astronomical Masers (Dordrecht: Kluwer)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elmouttie, M., Haynes, R. F., Jones, K. L., Sadler, E. M., & Ehle, M. 1998, MNRAS, 297, 1202 Google Scholar
Fairall, A. P. 1986, MNRAS, 218, 453 Google Scholar
Falcke, H., Wilson, A. S., Henkel, C., Brunthaler, A., & Braatz, J. A. 2000a, ApJ, 530, L13 Google Scholar
Falcke, H., Henkel, C., Peck, A. B., Hagiwara, Y., Almudena Prieto, M., & Gallimore, J. F. 2000b, A&A, 358, L17 Google Scholar
Fiore, F., et al. 2001, ApJ, 556, 150 Google Scholar
Ford, H. C., Dahari, O., Jacoby, G. H., Crane, P. C., & Ciardullo, R. 1986, ApJ, 311, L7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frank, J., King, A., & Raine, D. 1992, Accretion Power in Astrophysics, 2nd edition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)Google Scholar
Gallimore, J. F., Baum, S. A., & O'Dea, C. P. 1997, Nature, 388, 852 Google Scholar
Gallimore, J. F., Baum, S. A., O'Dea, C. P., Brinks, E., & Pedlar, A. 1996, ApJ, 462, 740 Google Scholar
Gallimore, J. F., Henkel, C., Baum, S. A., Glass, I. S., Claussen, M. J., Prieto, M. A., & Von Kap-herr, A. 2001, 556, 694 Google Scholar
Gammie, C. F., Narayan, R., & Blandford, R. 1999, ApJ, 516, 177 Google Scholar
Gardner, F. F., & Whiteoak, J. B. 1982, MNRAS, 201, P13 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genzel, R., & Downes, D. 1979, A&A, 72, 234 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J. 2001a, in Cosmic Masers, ed. V. Migenes (San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific), in pressGoogle Scholar
Greenhill, L. J. 2001b, in Proceedings of the 5th EVN Symposium, eds J. Conway, A. Polatidis, & R. Booth (Gothenburg, Sweden: Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers Technical University), in pressGoogle Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., & Gwinn, C. R. 1997, Ap&SS, 248, 261 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Gwinn, C. R., Antonucci, R., & Barvainis, R. 1996, ApJ, 472, L21 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Moran, J. M., & Herrnstein, J. R. 1997a, ApJ, 481, L23 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Ellingsen, S. P., Norris, R. P., Gough, R. G., Sinclair, M. W., Moran, J. M., & Mushotzky, R. 1997b, ApJ, 474, L103 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Henkel, C., Becker, R., Wilson, T. L., & Wouterloot, J. G. A. 1995a, A&A, 304, 21 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Jiang, D. R., Moran, J. M., Reid, M. J., Lo, K.-Y., & Claussen, M. J. 1995b, ApJ, 440, 619 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., Ellingsen, S. P., Norris, R. P., Gough, R. G., Sinclair, M. W., Moran, J. M., & Mushotzky, R. 1997, ApJ, 474, L103 Google Scholar
Greenhill, L. J., et al. 2001, in Galaxies and their Constituents at the Highest Angular Resolutions, eds R. Schilizzi, S. Vogel, F. Paresce, & M. Elvis (San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific), in pressGoogle Scholar
Hagiwara, Y., Diamond, P. J., & Miyoshi, M. 2002, A&A, 383, 65 Google Scholar
Hagiwara, Y., Kohno, K., Kawabe, R., & Nakai, N. 1997, PASJ, 49, 171 Google Scholar
Haschick, A. D., & Baan, W. A. 1985, Nature, 314, 144 Google Scholar
Haschick, A. D., Baan, W. A., & Peng, E. W. 1994, ApJ, 437, L35 Google Scholar
Heckman, T. M. 1980, A&A, 87, 152 Google Scholar
Henkel, C., Güsten, R., Thum, C., & Downes, D. 1984a, IAU Circular 3983Google Scholar
Henkel, C., Güsten, R., Wilson, T. L., Biermann, P., Downes, D., & Thum, C. 1984b, A&A, 141, L1 Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R. 1997, PhD Thesis, Harvard University Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R., Greenhill, L. J., & Moran, J. M. 1996, ApJ, 468, L17 Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R., Moran, J. M., Greenhill, L. J., Blackman, E. G., & Diamond, P. J. 1998, ApJ, 508, 243 Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R., Greenhill, L. J., Moran, J. M., Diamond, P. J., Inoue, M., Nakai, N., & Miyoshi, M. 1998, ApJ, 497, L69 Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R., Moran, J. M., Greenhill, L. J., Diamond, P. J., Miyoshi, M., Nakai, N., & Inoue, M. 1997, ApJ, 475, L17 Google Scholar
Herrnstein, J. R., et al. 1999, Nature, 400, 539 Google Scholar
Ichimaru, S. 1977, ApJ, 214, 840 Google Scholar
Ishihara, Y., Nakai, N., Iyomoto, N., Makishima, K., Diamond, P., & Hall, P. 2001, PASJ, 53, 215 Google Scholar
Iyomoto, N., Fukazawa, Y., Nakai, N., & Ishihara, Y. 2001, ApJ, 561, L69 Google Scholar
Iwasawa, K., Koyama, K., Awaki, H., Kunieda, H., Makishima, K., Tsuru, T., Ohashi, T., & Nakai, N. 1993, ApJ, 409, 155 Google Scholar
Kartje, J. F., Königl, A., & Elitzur, M. 1999, ApJ, 513, 180 Google Scholar
Koekemoer, A. M., Henkel, C., Greenhill, L. J., Dey, A., van Breugel, W., Codella, C., & Antonucci, R. 1995, Nature, 378, 697 Google Scholar
Lasota, J.-P., Abramowicz, M. A., Chen, X., Krolik, J., Narayan, R., & Yi, I. 1996, ApJ, 462, 142 Google Scholar
Madejski, G. M., Zycki, P., Done, C., Valinia, A., Blanco, P., Rothschild, R., & Turek, B. 2000, ApJ, 535, L87 Google Scholar
Makishima, K., et al. 1994, PASJ, 46, L77 Google Scholar
Maloney, P. R., Begelman, M. C., & Pringle, J. E. 1996a, ApJ, 472, 582 Google Scholar
Maloney, P. R., Hollenbach, D. J., & Tielens, A. G. G. M. 1996b, ApJ, 466, 561 Google Scholar
Maoz, E. 1995, ApJ, 447, L91 Google Scholar
Maoz, E., & McKee, C. F. 1998, ApJ, 494, 218 (MM98)Google Scholar
Marconi, A., Moorwood, A. F. M., Origlia, L., & Oliva, E. 1994, Messenger, 78, 20 Google Scholar
Matt, G., et al. 1996, MNRAS, 281, L69 Google Scholar
Menten, K. M., Melnick, G. J., & Phillips, T. G. 1990a, ApJ, 350, L41 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menten, K. M., Melnick, G. J., Phillips, T. G., & Neufeld, D. A. 1990b, ApJ, 363, L27 Google Scholar
Miyoshi, M., Moran, J., Herrnstein, J., Greenhill, L., Nakai, N., Diamond, P., & Inoue, M. 1995, Nature, 373, 127 Google Scholar
Moran, J. M., Greenhill, L. J., & Herrnstein, J. R. 1999, JApA, 20, 165 Google Scholar
Moran, J., Greenhill, L., Herrnstein, J., Diamond, P., Miyoshi, M., Nakai, N., & Inoue, M. 1995, in Quasars and AGN: High Resolution Imaging, PNAS, 92, 11427Google Scholar
Nakai, N., Inoue, M., & Miyoshi, M. 1993, Nature, 361, 45 Google Scholar
Nakai, N., Inoue, M., Miyazawa, K., & Hall, P. 1995, PASJ, 47, 771 Google Scholar
Nakai, N., Sato, N., & Yamauchi, A. 2002, PASJ, 54, in pressGoogle Scholar
Narayan, R., & Yi, I. 1994, ApJ, 428, L13 Google Scholar
Neufeld, D. A. 2000, ApJ, 542, L99 Google Scholar
Neufeld, D. A., & Maloney, P. R. 1995, ApJ, 447, L19 (NM95)Google Scholar
Neufeld, D. A., Maloney, P. R., & Conger, S. 1994, ApJ, 436, L127 (NMC)Google Scholar
Neufeld, D. A., & Melnick, G. J. 1991, ApJ, 368, 215 Google Scholar
Newman, J. A., Ferrarese, L., Stetson, P. B., Maoz, E., Zepf, S. E., Davis, M., Freedman, W. L., & Madore, B. F. 2001, ApJ, 553, 562 Google Scholar
Phinney, E. S. 1983, PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge Google Scholar
Pringle, J. E. 1996, MNRAS, 281, 357 Google Scholar
Rees, M. J., Begelman, M. C., Blandford, R. D., & Phinney, E. S. 1982, Nature, 295, 17 Google Scholar
Reynolds, C. S., Nowak, M. A., & Maloney, P. R. 2000, ApJ, 540, 143 Google Scholar
Sawada-Satoh, S., Inoue, M., Shibata, K. M., Kameno, S., Migenes, V., Nakai, N., & Diamond, P. J. 2000, PASJ, 52, 421 Google Scholar
Shakura, N. I., & Sunyaev, R. A. 1973, A&A, 24, 337 Google Scholar
Sofue, Y., Koda, J., Kohno, K., Okumura, S. K., Honma, M., Kawamura, A., & Irwin, J. A. 2001, ApJ, 547, L115 Google Scholar
Stone, J. M., Hawley, J. F., Gammie, C. F., & Balbus, S. A. 1996, ApJ, 463, 656 Google Scholar
Svensson, R. 1999, in Theory of Black Hole Accretion Discs, eds M. A.Abramowicz, G. Bjornsson, & J. E. Pringle (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 289 Google Scholar
Tielens, A. G. G. M., & Hollenbach, D. J. 1985, ApJ, 291, 722 Google Scholar
Trotter, A. S., Greenhill, L. J., Moran, J. M., Reid, M. J., Irwin, J. A., & Lo, K.-Y. 1998, ApJ, 495, 470 Google Scholar
Ulvestad, J. S., Wrobel, J. M., Roy, A. L., Wilson, A. S., Falcke, H., & Krichbaum, T. P. 1999, ApJ, 517, L81 Google Scholar
Veilleux, S., & Bland-Hawthorn, J. 1997, ApJ, 479, L105 Google Scholar
Warwick, R. S., Koyama, K., Inoue, H., Takano, S., Awaki, H., & Hoshi, R. 1989, PASJ, 41, 709 Google Scholar
Waters, J. W., et al. 1980, ApJ, 235, 57 Google Scholar
Weaver, K. A., Wilson, A. S., Henkel, C., & Braatz, J. A. 1999, ApJ, 520, 130 Google Scholar
Whiteoak, J. B. & Gardner, F. F. 1986, MNRAS, 222, 513 Google Scholar
Wilson, A. S., Braatz, J. A., & Henkel, C. 1995, ApJ, 455, L127 Google Scholar
Xanthopoulos, E., & Richards, A. M. S. 2001, MNRAS, 326, L37 Google Scholar