Abstract
The total angular extents and absolute positions (± 1 arc s) of OH maser clouds surrounding 20 red giant and supergiant stars have been measured using the Very Large Array in a spectral line mode. Our results are consistent with a symmetric, expanding circumstellar shell model for many of the sources, but about half of the sources have more complex structure at the arc second level. A correlation is found between the sizes of the masing regions at 1,612 MHz, the expansion velocities of the circumstellar shells, and the estimated mass loss rates. For one star (U Orionis) initiation of extensive mass loss has occurred very recently and dramatic changes in its OH spectrum may represent the ‘turn on’ stage of OHmasers in evolved stars.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dickinson, D. F., Reid, M. J., Morris, M. & Redman, R. Astrophys. J. Lett. 220, L113–L116 (1978).
Reid, M. J., Muhleman, D. O., Moran, J. M., Johnston, K. J. & Schwartz, P. R. Astrophys. J. 214, 60–77 (1977).
Bowers, P. F., Reid, M. J., Johnston, K. J., Spencer, J. H. & Moran, J. M. Astrophys. J. 242, 1088–1101 (1980).
Jewell, P. R., Webber, J. C. & Snyder, L. E. Astrophys. J. Lett. 242, L29–L31 (1980).
Benson, J. M. & Mutel, R. L. Astrophys. J. 233, 119–126 (1979).
Booth, R. S., Kus, A. J., Norris, R. P. & Porter, N. D. Nature 290, 382 (1981).
Hyland, A. R., Becklin, E. E., Frogel, J. A. & Neugebauer, G. Astr. Astrophys. 16, 204–219 (1972).
Mutel, R. L., Fix, J. D., Benson, J. M. & Webber, J. C. Astrophys. J. 228, 771–779 (1979).
Clayton, M. L. & Feast, M. W. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 146, 411–421 (1969).
Mason, S., Gehrz, R. D., Kleinmann, S. G., Hackwell, J. & Grasdalen, G. (in preparation).
Gehrz, R. D. & Woolf, N. J. Astrophys. J. 165, 285–294 (1971).
Werner, M. W. et al. Astrophys. J. 239, 540 (1980).
Telesco, C. M., Kleinmann, S. G., Harper, D. A., Loewenstein, R. & Moseley, S. H. (in preparation).
Elitzur, M., Goldreich, P. & Scoville, N. Astrophys. J. 205, 384–396 (1976).
Pataki, L. & Kolena, J. Bull. Am. astr. Soc. 6, 304 (1974).
Cimerman, M. Astrophys. J. Lett. 288, L79–82 (1979).
Reid, M. J. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 227, L89–92 (1979).
Elitzur, M. Astr. Astrophys. 62, 305 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bowers, P., Johnston, K. & Spencer, J. Microwave OH maser emission in the circumstellar envelopes of late-type stars. Nature 291, 382–385 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291382a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291382a0
This article is cited by
-
A study of the H-alpha line in late G and K supergiants
Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy (1982)
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.
