Detection of 84-GHz class I methanol maser emission towards NGC 253

We have investigated the central region of NGC 253 for the presence of 84.5-GHz ($5_{-1}\rightarrow4_0$E) methanol emission using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. We present the second detection of 84.5-GHz class~I methanol maser emission outside the Milky Way. This maser emission is offset from dynamical centre of NGC 253, in a region with previously detected emission from class~I maser transitions (36.2-GHz $4_{-1}\rightarrow3_0$E and 44.1-GHz $7_{0}\rightarrow6_1$A$^{+}$ methanol lines) . The emission features a narrow linewidth ($\sim$12 km s$^{-1}$) with a luminosity approximately 5 orders of magnitude higher than typical Galactic sources. We determine an integrated line intensity ratio of $1.2\pm0.4$ between the 36.2 GHz and 84.5-GHz class I methanol maser emission, which is similar to the ratio observed towards Galactic sources. The three methanol maser transitions observed toward NGC 253 each show a different distribution, suggesting differing physical conditions between the maser sites and that observations of additional class~I methanol transitions will facilitate investigations of the maser pumping regime.Comment: Accepted into ApJL 12 October 2018. 10 pages, 3 Figures and 2 Table

Millimeter methanol emission in the high-mass young stellar object G24.33+0.14

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>In 2019 September, a sudden flare of the 6.7???GHz methanol maser was observed toward the high-mass young stellar object (HMYSO) G24.33+0.14. This may represent the fourth detection of a transient mass accretion event in an HMYSO after S255IR??NIRS3, NGC??6334I-MM1, and G358.93???0.03-MM1. G24.33+0.14 is unique among these sources as it clearly shows a repeating flare with an 8???yr interval. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we observed the millimeter continuum and molecular lines toward G24.33+0.14 in the pre-flare phase in 2016 August (ALMA Cycle??3) and the mid-flare phase in 2019 September (ALMA Cycle??6). We identified three continuum sources in G24.33+0.14, and the brightest source, C1, which is closely associated with the 6.7???GHz maser emission, shows only a marginal increase in flux density with a flux ratio (Cycle??6$/$Cycle??3) of 1.16 ?? 0.01, considering an additional absolute flux calibration uncertainty of $10\%$. We identified 26 transitions from 13 molecular species other than methanol, and they exhibit similar levels of flux differences with an average flux ratio of 1.12 ?? 0.15. In contrast, eight methanol lines observed in Cycle??6 are brighter than those in Cycle??3 with an average flux ratio of 1.23 ?? 0.13, and the higher excitation lines tend to show a larger flux increase. If this systematic increasing trend is real, it would suggest radiative heating close to the central HMYSO due to an accretion event which could expand the size of the emission region and/or change the excitation conditions. Given the low brightness temperatures and small flux changes, most of the methanol emission is likely to be predominantly thermal, except for the 229.759???GHz (8???1???70??E) line known as a class??I methanol maser. The flux change in the millimeter continuum of G24.33+0.14 is smaller than in S255IR??NIRS3 and NGC??6334I-MM1 but is comparable with that in G358.93???0.03-MM1, suggesting different amounts of accreted mass in these events.</jats:p&gt