| Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 15, 2005
Radio Astronomy from Karl Jansky to Microjansky – JENAM'03
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 317 - 330 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas:2005160 | |
| Published online | 26 January 2006 | |
L.I. Gurvits, S. Frey and S. Rawlings (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 15 (2005) 317-330
MegaMasers and gigaMasers: A close look at Active Nuclei
ASTRON, Westerbork Observatory, PO Box 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The
Netherlands
Molecular emissions are powerful tracers of intense heating and star-formation processes. In this paper we consider the characteristics of Megamaser emission that originate in some active nuclei that are powered by intense star-formation or accretion onto a massive compact object. The OH and possibly the H2CO Megamaser activity occurs among the most luminous sources in the population of (Ultra-) Luminous Infrared Galaxies. In addition, we consider the systematic behaviour of the line emission of high-density tracer molecules. An evolutionary scenario is presented for ULIRGs that may explain the molecular line ratios observed in the population of FIR galaxies.
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2005