Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Dec 1984
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1984mnras.211..799f&link_type=abstract
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (ISSN 0035-8711), vol. 211, Dec. 15, 1984, p. 799-811.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
15
Astrophysics, Hydroxyl Emission, Interstellar Masers, Maser Outputs, Population Inversion, Radiative Transfer, Astronomical Models, Frequency Response, Spectral Line Width
Scientific paper
A semi-classical theory is proposed in order to describe the amplification characteristics of radiation in a two-level astrophysical maser. The theory is based on a single expression which relates the degree of saturation of a maser population inversion to radiation intensity. It is shown that the relation reduces to classical form if every molecule is assumed to have a perfectly sharp frequency response. Estimates of maser intensities obtained from both classical theory and from the present theory are compared on the basis of the well-known physical conditions of W3(OH). It is found that the classical theory underestimates the degree of saturation in W3(OH), and, within the framework of the model, overestimates maser intensities by as much as 5.7 times. The present theory is recommended as a framework for measurements of the homogeneous linewidths of maser radiation.
Field David
Richardson Mark I.
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