A multi-transition submillimeter water maser study of evolved stars - detection of a new line near 475 GHz

Context: Maser emission from the H2O molecule probes the warm, inner circumstellar envelopes of oxygen-rich red giant and supergiant stars. Multi-maser transition studies can be used to put constraints on the density and temperature of the emission regions. Aims: A number of known H2O maser lines were observed toward the long period variables R Leo and W Hya and the red supergiant VY CMa. A search for a new, not yet detected line near 475 GHz was conducted toward these stars. Methods: The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope was used for a multi-transition observational study of submillimeter H2O lines. Results: The 5_33-4_40 transition near 475 GHz was clearly detected toward VY CMa and W Hya. Many other H2O lines were detected toward all three target stars. Relative line intensity ratios and velocity widths were found to vary significantly from star to star. Conclusions: Maser action is observed in all but one line for which it was theoretically predicted. In contrast, one of the strongest maser lines, in R Leo by far the strongest, the 437 GHz 7_53-6_60 transition, is not predicted to be inverted. Some other qualitative predictions of the model calculations are at variance with our observations. Plausible reasons for this are discussed. Based on our findings for W Hya and VY CMa, we find evidence that the H2O masers in the AGB star W Hya arise from the regular circumstellar outflow, while shock excitation in a high velocity flow seems to be required to excite masers far from the red supergiant VY CMa.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Astronomy and Astrophyics (in press

Aluminium oxide in the optical spectrum of VY Canis Majoris

We report the first identification of the optical bands of the B-X system of AlO in the red supergiant VY CMa. In addition to TiO, VO, ScO, and YO, which were recognized in the optical spectrum of the star long time ago, AlO is another refractory molecule which displays strong emission bands in this peculiar star. Simulating the bands of AlO, we derive a rotational temperature of the circumstellar gas of Trot=700K. By resolving individual rotational components of the bands, we derive the kinematical characteristics of the gas, finding that the emission is centered at the stellar radial velocity and its intrinsic width is 13.5 km/s (full width at half maximum). It is the narrowest emission among all (thermal) features observed in VY CMa so far. The temperature and line widths suggest that the emission arises in gas located within ~20 stellar radii, where the outflow is still being accelerated. This result contradicts equilibrium-chemistry models which predict substantial AlO abundances only to within a few stellar radii. We argue that non-equilibrium models involving propagation of shocks are needed to explain the observations.Comment: to appear in A&

New Measurements of the Radio Photosphere of Mira based on Data from the JVLA and ALMA

We present new measurements of the millimeter wavelength continuum emission from the long period variable Mira ($o$ Ceti) at frequencies of 46 GHz, 96 GHz, and 229 GHz ($\lambda$~7 mm, 3 mm, and 1 mm) based on observations obtained with the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The measured millimeter flux densities are consistent with a radio photosphere model derived from previous observations, where flux density, $S_{\nu}\propto\nu^{1.86}$. The stellar disk is resolved, and the measurements indicate a decrease in the size of the radio photosphere at higher frequencies, as expected if the opacity decreases at shorter wavelengths. The shape of the radio photosphere is found to be slightly elongated, with a flattening of ~10-20%. The data also reveal evidence for brightness non-uniformities on the surface of Mira at radio wavelengths. Mira's hot companion, Mira B was detected at all three observed wavelengths, and we measure a radius for its radio-emitting surface of $\approx2.0\times10^{13}$ cm. The data presented here highlight the power of the JVLA and ALMA for the study of the atmospheres of evolved stars.Comment: Accepted to ApJ; 27 pages, 7 figure

The cometary HII regions of DR 21: Bow shocks or champagne flows or both?

We present deep Very Large Array H66$\alpha$ radio recombination line (RRL) observations of the two cometary HII regions in DR 21. With these sensitive data, we test the "hybrid" bow shock/champagne flow model previously proposed for the DR 21 HII regions. The ionized gas down the tail of the southern HII region is redshifted by up to ~30 km/s with respect to the ambient molecular gas, as expected in the hybrid scenario. The RRL velocity structure, however, reveals the presence of two velocity components in both the northern and southern HII regions. This suggests that the ionized gas is flowing along cone-like shells, swept-up by stellar winds. The observed velocity structure of the well-resolved southern HII region is most consistent with a picture that combines a stellar wind with stellar motion (as in bow shock models) along a density gradient (as in champagne flow models). The direction of the implied density gradient is consistent with that suggested by maps of dust continuum and molecular line emission in the DR 21 region.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&

Detection of a new methanol maser line with the Kitt Peak 12-m telescope by remote observing from Moscow

A new methanol maser line 6(-1)-5(0)E at 133 GHz was detected with the 12-m Kitt Peak radio telescope using remote observation mode from Moscow. Moderately strong, narrow maser lines were found in DR21(OH), DR21-W, OMC-2, M8E, NGC2264, L379, W33-Met. The masers have similar spectral features in other transitions of methanol-E at 36 and 84 GHz, and in transitions of methanol-A at 44 and 95 GHz. All these are Class I transitions, and the new masers also belong to Class I. In two other methanol transitions near 133 GHz, 5(-2)-6(-1)E and 6(2)-7(1)A+, only thermal emission was detected in some sources. Several other sources with wider lines in the transition 6(-1)-5(0)E also may be masers, since they do not show any emission at the two other methanol transitons near 133 GHz. These are NGC2071, S231, S255, GGD27, also known as Class I masers. The ratio of intensities and line widths of the 133 GHz masers and 44 GHz masers is consistent with the saturated maser model, in which the line rebroadening with respect to unsaturated masers is suppressed by cross relaxation due to elastic collisions.Comment: 4 pages, AASTeX text, uses aasms4.sty, 2 Postscript figures, to be published in Ap

Exciting Maser Science with New Instruments - the Promise of the EVLA

In the near future, the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) will allow surveys for maser sources with unprecedented sensitivity, spectral coverage and spectroscopic capabilities. In particular, comprehensive surveys for many maser species with simultaneous sensitive continuum imaging and absorption studies will give a comprehensive radio picture of star formation in the Galactic plane and elsewhere. Very efficient EVLA surveys for H2O megamasers in Active Galacic Nuclei will be possible to practically arbitrary redshifts. EVLA and Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) studies of H2O and SiO masers will serve as high resolution probes of the innermost envelopes of oxygen-rich evolved stars and HCN masers of carbon-rich stars. Farther in the future, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) promises the detection of OH gigamasers at all conceivable redshifts and maser astrometry with unprecedented accuracy.Comment: 10 pages, incl. 4 figures, iaus.cls, to appear the Procedings of IAU Symp. 242 (Astrophysical masers and their environments) eds. J. Chapman & W. Baan Replaced version with a few typos correcte