Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21711402w&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #114.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
OH masers are well-known astronomical phenomena in which 18-cm radiation is amplified through the process of stimulated emission. My dissertation research focuses on the study of OH masers in multiple environments. The first portion is a Spitzer spectroscopic study of OH megamaser host galaxies. Several infrared properties of the host galaxy are shown to strongly correlate with the presence of an OH megamaser. These requirements include a smooth, optically thick dust environment and dust temperatures of 40-100 K in the circumnuclear region. I also demonstrate that the presence of an AGN highly selects against the presence of a megamaser - OHM hosts are dominated by starburst galaxies. I also use combined radio and IR data to make the first detailed test of an OH pumping model using the global parameters of the host galaxies. Based on our analysis, current models must be updated to include much higher optical depths and a variety of dust geometries. Secondly, I describe results from a new high-redshift search for OH megamasers using the Green Bank Telescope. The combination of new OHM detections and upper limits are used to construct an expanded OH luminosity function. Since the presence of an OHM traces both merging galaxies and extreme star formation, megamasers can serve as a powerful probe of galaxy evolution across cosmic time. The discovery of OHMs at z 1 is crucial for achieving this goal. Finally, I describe results of a new and complete OH survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). The goal of this survey is to find masers that can be used to measure M31's proper motion, which is as yet unknown. Any constraints on this will significantly impact our understanding of the Local Group's dynamics, history, and future evolution.
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