Abstract
Recently, the number of transitions as well as the number of sources showing maser emission of interstellar methanol (CH3OH) has been increased significantly. Wilson et al.1,2 detected two new K-band lines to be masing towards W3(OH) and possibly NGC7538. Morimoto et al3 found masers at mm-wavelengths towards Sgr B2, and Menten et al.4 demonstrated that maser action in the J2–J1 series of E-type methanol, first observed towards Orion-KL5, is a common phenomenon in numerous molecular clouds. Observations of the 20–3−1E transition of methanol have led to the discovery of strong maser action in a number of galactic sources. Towards W3(OH), NGC6334 and NGC7538, these masers have flux densities of order 1,000 Jy and seem to be closely correlated with compact HII regions. The line intensities are comparable to those observed in OH. Towards other sources absorption or a combination of maser emission and absorption is observed.
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Batrla, W., Matthews, H., Menten, K. et al. Detection of strong methanol masers towards galactic H II regions. Nature 326, 49–51 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/326049a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/326049a0
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