Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Powerful extragalactic masers

Nature volume 315, pages 26–31 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Two strong extragalactic OH masers have been detected in the galaxies NGC3690 and Mrk 231 which are in the same class as the megamaser source IC4553 (Arp 220). The amplification model for the background continuum proposed for IC4553 can account for most of the powerful OH maser lines and for part of the H2O emission. Most masing galaxies have sufficient infrared flux to pump the masing regions, except that the H2O pumping must occur at a much higher conversion efficiency than the OH pumping.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nguyen-Q-Rieu, Mebold, U., Winnberg, A., Guibert, J. & Booth, R. Astr. Astrophys. 52, 467–469 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Weliachew, L., Fomalont, E. B. & Greisen, E. W. Astr. Astrophys. 137, 335–342 (1984).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Baan, W. A., Haschick, A. D., Buckley, D. & Schmelz,, J. Astrophys. J. (in the press).

  4. Baan, W. A., Wood, P. A. D. & Haschick, A. D. Astrophys. J. Lett. 260, L49–L52 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Haschick, A. D. & Baan, W. A. Nature 314, 144–146 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Claussen, M. J., Heiligman, G. M. & Lo, K. Y. Nature 310, 298–300 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Henkel, C. et al. Astr. Astrophys. 141, L1–L3 (1984).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. dos Santos, P. M. & Lepine, J. R. D. Nature 278, 34 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Batchelor, R. A., Jauncey, D. L. & Whiteoak, J. B. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 200, 19p–21p (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gardner, F. F. & Whiteoak, J. B. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 201, 13p–15p (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gardner, F. F. & Whiteoak, J. B. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 173, 77p–81p (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Reid, M. J. & Moran, J. M. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 19, 231–276 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Downes, D. Birth and Infancy of Stars (eds Lucas, R. & Omont, A.) (in preparation).

  14. Baan, W. A. & Haschick, A. D. Astrophys. J. 279, 541–549 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Norris, R. P., Baan, W. A., Haschick, A. D., Booth, R. S. & Diamond, P. J. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. (in the press).

  16. Baan, W. A., Haschick, A. D. & Schmelz, J. T. IAU Circ. No. 3993 (1984).

  17. Gehrz, R. D., Sramek, R. A. & Weedman, D. W. Astrophys. J. 267, 551–562 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Arp, H. C. Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies (California Just. Techn., Pasadema, 1966).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. Weedman, D. W. Astrophys. J. 171, 5–12 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Rieke, G. H. & Low, F. J. Astrophys. J. Lett. 200, L67–L69 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Allen, D. H. Astrophys. J. 207, 367–375 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Lonsdale, C. J., Neugebauer, G. & Soifer, B. T. B.A.A.S. 16, 470 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Dickey, J. M. Astrophys. J. 263, 87–93 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Heckman, T. M., van Breugel, W., Miley, G. K. & Butcher, H. R. Astr. J. 88, 1077–1087 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Lacy, J. H. et al. Astrophys. J. 256, 75–82 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ulvestad, J. S. Astrophys. J. 259, 96–102 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Adams, T. F. Astrophys. J. Lett. 176, L1–L3 (1972).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Heckman, T. M., Balick, B. & Sullivan, W. T. Astrophys. J. 224, 745–760 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ulvestad, J. S., Wilson, A. & Sramek, R. A. Astrophys. J. 247, 419–442 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mirabel, I. F. Astrophys. J. 260, 75–80 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Baan, W. A., van Gorkom, J., Schmelz, J. T. & Mirabel, I. F. Astrophys. J. (submitted).

  32. Norris, R. P. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. (submitted).

  33. Schild, R. E. Sky and Telescope January, 24–45 (1985).

  34. Soifer, B. T. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 283, L1–L4 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Emerson, J. P. et al. Nature 311, 237–238 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Keel, W. Astrophys. J. 282, 75–84 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Joseph, R. D., Wright, G. S. & Wade, R. Nature 311, 132–133 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Becklin, E. et al. IAU Circ. No. 3968 (1984).

  39. Rickard, L. J., Bania, T. M. & Turner, B. E. Astrophys. J. 252, 147–155 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Liszt, H. S. & Burton, W. B. Astrophys. J. 226, 790–816 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Nguyen-Q-Rieu et al. Astr. Astrophys. 46, 413–428 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. Guibert, J., Elitzur, M. & Nguyen-Q-Rieu Astr. Astrophys. 66, 395–405 (1978).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Bujarrabal, V. et al. Astr. Astrophys. 81, 1–7 (1980); 91, 283–289 (1980).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. van der Kruit, P. C. Astr. Astrophys. 15, 110–122 (1971).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. Hummel, E. van der Hulst, J. M. & Dickey, J. M. Astr. Astrophys. 134, 207–221 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. Weedman, D. W. Astrophys. J. 266, 479–484 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Soifer, B. T. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 278, L71 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Kennicutt, R. C. & Keel, W. Astrophys. J. 279, L5–L9 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Lonsdale, C. J., Persson, S. E. & Matthews, K. Astrophys. J. (in the press).

  50. Whiteoak, J. B. & Gardner, F. F. Astrophys. Lett 15, 211–215 (1973).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Baan, W. A. & Haschick, A. D. Astr. J. 88, 1088–1093 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Moorwood, A. F. & Glass, I. S. Astr. Astrophys. 135, 281–288 (1984).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. IRAS bulletin 1 Nature 303, 480 (1983); IRAS bulletin 15 Nature 310, 548 (1984).

  54. Rieke, G. H. & Lebovsky, M. J. Astrophys. J. Lett. 220, L37–L41 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. Whiteoak, J. B. & Gardner, F. F. Astrophys. J. Lett. 195, L81–L84 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Condon, J. J., Condon, M. A., Gisler, G. & Puschell, J. J. Astrophys. J. 252, 102–124 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Kronberg, P. P., Biermann, P. & Schwab, F. F. Astrophys. J. 246, 751–760 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  58. de Bruyn, A. G. Astr. Astrophys. 58, 221–236 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Van Albada, G. D. thesis, Univ. Leiden (1978).

  60. Wilson, A. S. & Ulvestad, J. S. Astrophys. J. 275, 8–15 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Duric, N. et al. Astrophys. J. 273, L11–L15 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Shostak, S. Astr. Astrophys. 68, 321–341 (1978).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  63. Gottesman, S. et al. Astrophys. J. 204, 699–702 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Combes, F., Gottesman, S. & Weliachen, L. Astr. Astrophys. 59, 181–187 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arecibo Observatory, PO Box 995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, 00613, USA

    Willem A. Baan

Authors
  1. Willem A. Baan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baan, W. Powerful extragalactic masers. Nature 315, 26–31 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/315026a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/315026a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing