Disks of Fire and Water: On the Coexistance of Hydroxyl and Water Megamasers

ORAL

Abstract

Hydroxyl and water megamasers are employed in the study of the internal kinematics of distant galaxies. OH masers are radiatively pumped through FIR photons, while water masers have been found to be pumped collisionally at higher densities and temperatures. The pumping mechanisms appear to be mutually exclusive which is supported observationally by the fact that specimens exhibiting masing in both varieties are nearly non-existent. In this presentation, we report the results of a study of NGC 3079, an object which exhibits masing activity from both water and OH maser species and seek to shed additional light on the possibily unique physical processes taking place within this object. Interferometric data from the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (EVN) were reduced using the AIPS software suite. We detect the molecular disk in NGC 3079 and superimpose the OH maser reported in Baan et al. (1995). Archival data of radio continuum emission on the kiloparsec scale suggests an outflow with a position angle differing significantly from the outflows on subparsec scales, perhaps indicating the presence of a precessing jet to power outflows. A warped/precessing disk model is proposed to explain the wide angle outflow and chaotic structure of the molecule disk. Brief discussion is provided on the OH maser discussed in Baan et al. (1995).

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Authors

  • Brandon Wiggins

    Brigham Young University

  • Norm Buchanan

    Brigham Young University, Stanford University, University of Central Florida, NCAR/High Altitude Observatory, Arizona Vitro-retinal consultants, University of Michigan, Arizona State University, University of Denver, Arizona State University Dept of Physics, Arizona State University Dept of Chemistry and Biochemistry, LASP, University of Colorado Boulder, Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah State University, Dixie State College, Utah, USU Materials Physics Group, UVU Physics Department, Box Elder Innovations, Space Telescope Science Institute, Northern Kentucky University, Retired, Utah Valley University, Univ. of California, Los Angelos, Colorado State University, St. Petersburg Electro-technical University, Universidad Nacional Aut\'onoma de M\'exico, New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, University of Wurtzberg, Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, LANL, UCLA, Max-planck-Institut f\"{u}r Astronomie, W. M. Keck Observatory, University of Arizona, Nuclear Physics Group, Brigham Young University, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, IBM Systems and Technology Group, IBM Research Division, T.J. Watson Research Center, Sandia National Laboratory, NMSU, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland, James Franck Institute and Department of Physics, University of Chicago, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, JISAO, University of Washington, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, NorthWest Research Associates, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Utah State University, New Mexico Tech, University of Cambridge, Los Alamos National Laboratory, RAPTOR Science, Institute of Space and Astronomical Science, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, Weber State University, Department of Physics, New Mexico State University, BYU Physics, Physics Department, University of Arizona, ABQMR, University of Colorado at Boulder, SNL and CINT, Los Alamos National Lab, Center for Quantum Information and Control, University of Arizona, Center for Quantum Information and Control, University of New Mexico, University of Calgary, Colorado School of Mines