6 CM OH absorption in megamaser galaxies

Absorption in the 2Pi sub 1/2 J = 1/2 Lambda doublet transitions of OH, 182 K above the ground state, is detected in the megamaser galaxies IC 4553 (Arp 220), MK 231, MK 273, MGC 3690, and IRAS 17208-0014. The 4660, 4751, and 4766 MHz lines have intensity ratios moderately deviating from the LTE values (1:2:1). The OH rotational temperatures appear to be close to the temperature of the dust, approx. 60 K. The common characteristics of these galaxies (absence of 6 cm inversion, the optical depths, the infrared properties, the systematic trends in the line parameters, and the rotational temperatures) all suggest that the same pump process is responsible for the 18 cm line inversion in the five megamaser sources. The inversion is probably not due to an excitation mechanism involving collisions with HI or H2. While excitation via photodissociation of H2O cannot entirely be ruled out, the most likely mechanism is considered to be to be a combination of the intense FIR field (populating higher excited OH rotational states) and the non-thermal radiation from the nuclei of the parent galaxies (affecting the excitation within the Lambda -doublets). According to an LVG model of the OH excitation of IC4553, the OH-cloud(s) have to be located close, within 200 to 300 pc, to the center of the galaxy. The excitation of the individual 18 cm lines depends critically on the effective background radiation field and hence on the galactocentric distance of the masing clump. With increasing distance first the 1720 MHz and then the 18 cm main line inversion is quenched, while 1612 MHz inversion is obtained up to approx. 600 pc. The 1612 MHz satellite line is predicted to be more intense than the 1720 MHz line. A critical test for our excitation model is to observe the 2 Pi 3/2 J = 5/2 Lambda-doublet transitions which are predicted to be detectable in absorption

New 6-cm observations of a large sample of radio SNRs

Almost 50 radio SNR objects were selected from Green's catalogue for continuum and polarization observations. We present preliminary results of this observational campaign at 4.7 GHz carried out with Torun 32-metre radio telescope.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, proceedings for "Supernova 1987A: 20 Years After: Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursters" AIP, New York, eds. S. Immler, K.W. Weiler, and R. McCra

The Intrinsic Size of Sagittarius A* from 0.35 cm to 6 cm

We present new high-resolution observations of Sagittarius A* at wavelengths of 17.4 to 23.8 cm with the Very Large Array in A configuration with the Pie Town Very Long Baseline Array antenna. We use the measured sizes to calibrate the interstellar scattering law and find that the major axis size of the scattering law is smaller by ~6% than previous estimates. Using the new scattering law, we are able to determine the intrinsic size of Sgr A* at wavelengths from 0.35 cm to 6 cm using existing results from the VLBA. The new law increases the intrinsic size at 0.7 cm by ~20% and <5% at 0.35 cm. The intrinsic size is 13^{+7}_{-3} Schwarzschild radii at 0.35 cm and is proportional to lambda^gamma, where gamma is in the range 1.3 to 1.7.Comment: ApJL, in pres

Mid-infrared Identification of 6 cm Radio Source Counterparts in the Extended Groth Strip

A new 6-cm survey of almost 0.6 square degrees to a limit of 0.55-mJy/beam (10-sigma) finds 37 isolated radio sources and 7 radio source pairs (not necessarily physical companions). IRAC counterparts are identified for at least 92% of the radio sources within the area of deep IRAC coverage, which includes 31 isolated sources and 6 pairs. This contrasts with an identification rate of <74% to R<23.95 in visible light. Eight of the IRAC galaxies have power law spectral energy distributions, implying that the mid-infrared emission comes from a powerful AGN. The remaining 26 IRAC galaxies show stellar emission in the mid-infrared, probably in most of these galaxies because the stellar emission is bright enough to outshine an underlying AGN. The infrared colors suggest that the majority of these galaxies are bulge-dominated and have redshifts between approximately 0.5 and 1.0. Visible spectra from the DEEP2 redshift survey, available for 11 galaxies, are consistent with this suggestion. The IRAC galaxies fall into two distinct groups in a color-magnitude diagram, one group (the "stripe") includes all the AGN. The other group (the "blue clump") has blue 3.6 to 8 micron colors and a small range of 8 micron magnitudes. This separation should be useful in classifying galaxies found in other radio surveys.Comment: Accepted by A

A Sino-German λ\lambda6\ cm polarization survey of the Galactic plane. V. Large supernova remnants

Observations of large supernova remnants (SNRs) at high frequencies are rare, but provide valuable information about their physical properties. The total intensity and polarization properties of 16 large SNRs in the Galactic plane were investigated based on observations of the Urumqi $\lambda$6\ cm polarization survey of the Galactic plane with an angular resolution of 9\farcm5. We extracted total intensity and linear polarization maps of large SNRs from the Urumqi $\lambda$6\ cm survey, obtained their integrated flux densities, and derived the radio spectra in context with previously published flux densities at various frequencies. In particular, Effelsberg $\lambda$11\ cm and $\lambda$21\ cm survey data were used for calculating integrated flux densities. The $\lambda$6\ cm polarization data also delineate the magnetic field structures of the SNRs. We present the first total intensity maps at $\lambda$6\ cm for SNRs G106.3+2.7, G114.3+0.3, G116.5+1.1, G166.0+4.3 (VRO 42.05.01), G205.5+0.5 (Monoceros Nebula) and G206.9+2.3 (PKS 0646+06) and the first polarization measurements at $\lambda$6\ cm for SNRs G82.2+5.3 (W63), G106.3+2.7, G114.3+0.3, G116.5+1.1, G166.0+4.3 (VRO 42.05.01), G205.5+0.5 (Monoceros Nebula) and G206.9+2.3 (PKS 0646+06). Most of the newly derived integrated radio spectra are consistent with previous results. The new flux densities obtained from the Urumqi $\lambda$6\ cm, Effelsberg $\lambda$11\ cm and $\lambda$21\ cm surveys are crucial to determine the spectra of SNR G65.1+0.6, G69.0+2.7 (CTB 80), G93.7-0.2 and G114.3+0.3. We find that G192.8$-$1.1 (PKS 0607+17) consists of background sources, \ion{H}{II} regions and the extended diffuse emission of thermal nature, and conclude that G192.8$-$1.1 is not a SNR.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted by A&\amp;A. Language improved. For the version with high resolution figures, please go to: http://zmtt.bao.ac.cn/6cm/paper/gxy_largeSNR.pd

Discovery of a new supernova remnant G150.3+4.5

Large-scale radio continuum surveys have good potential for discovering new Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs). Surveys of the Galactic plane are often limited in the Galactic latitude of |b| ~ 5 degree. SNRs at high latitudes, such as the Cygnus Loop or CTA~1, cannot be detected by surveys in such limited latitudes. Using the available Urumqi 6 cm Galactic plane survey data, together with the maps from the extended ongoing 6 cm medium latitude survey, we wish to discover new SNRs in a large sky area. We searched for shell-like structures and calculated radio spectra using the Urumqi 6 cm, Effelsberg 11 cm, and 21 cm survey data. Radio polarized emission and evidence in other wavelengths are also examined for the characteristics of SNRs. We discover an enclosed oval-shaped object G150.3+4.5 in the 6 cm survey map. It is about 2.5 degree wide and 3 degree high. Parts of the shell structures can be identified well in the 11 cm, 21 cm, and 73.5 cm observations. The Effelsberg 21 cm total intensity image resembles most of the structures of G150.3+4.5 seen at 6 cm, but the loop is not closed in the northwest. High resolution images at 21 cm and 73.5 cm from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey confirm the extended emission from the eastern and western shells of G150.3+4.5. We calculated the radio continuum spectral indices of the eastern and western shells, which are $\beta \sim -2.4$ and $\beta \sim -2.7$ between 6 cm and 21 cm, respectively. The shell-like structures and their non-thermal nature strongly suggest that G150.3+4.5 is a shell-type SNR. For other objects in the field of view, G151.4+3.0 and G151.2+2.6, we confirm that the shell-like structure G151.4+3.0 very likely has a SNR origin, while the circular-shaped G151.2+2.6 is an HII region with a flat radio spectrum, associated with optical filamentary structure, H$\alpha$, and infrared emission.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication of Astronomy and Astrophysic

Multiquantum well structure with an average electron mobility of 4.0×10^6 cm^2/V s

We report a modulation-doped multiquantum well structure which suppresses the usual ambient light effect associated with modulation doping. Ten GaAs quantum wells 300-Å wide are symmetrically modulation doped using Si δ doping at the center of 3600-Å-wide Al0.1Ga0.9As barriers. The low field mobility of each well is 4.0×10^6 cm/V s at a density of 6.4×10^10 cm^−2 measured at 0.3 K either in the dark, or during, or after, exposure to light. This mobility is an order of magnitude improvement over previous work on multiwells

The RMS Survey: 6 cm continuum VLA observations towards candidate massive YSOs in the northern hemisphere

(Abridged) Context: The Red MSX Source (RMS) survey is an ongoing multi-wavelength observational programme designed to return a large, well-selected sample of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). We have identified $\sim$2000 MYSO candidates located throughout the Galaxy by comparing the colours of MSX and 2MASS point sources to those of known MYSOs. Aims: To identify the populations of UCHII regions and PNe within the sample and examine their Galactic distribution. Method: We have conducted high resolution radio continuum observations at 6 cm towards 659 MYSO candidates in the northern hemisphere (10\degr< l < 250\degr) using the VLA. In addition to these targeted observations we present archival data towards a further 315 RMS sources extracted from a previous VLA survey of the inner Galaxy. Results: We find radio emission towards 272 ($\sim$27% of the observed sample). Using results from other parts of our multi-wavelength survey we separate these RMS-radio associations into two distinct types of objects, classifying 51 as PNe and a further 208 as either compact or UC HII regions. Using this well selected sample of HII regions we estimate their Galactic scale height to be 0.6\degr. Conclusions: Using radio continuum and archival data we have identified 79 PNe and 391 HII regions within the northern RMS catalogue. We estimate the total fraction of contamination by PNe in the RMS sample is of order 10%. The sample of HII regions is probably the best representation to date of the Galactic population of HII regions as a whole.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 15 pages, 9 figures and 5 tables. Full versions of Tables 3, 4 and 5 and Figs. 2, 4 and 7 will only be available via CDS or the RMS website at http:/www.ast.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/RMS/RMS_VLA_IMAGES.cg