Review of galactic and extragalactic searches for class I methanol masers  

作　　者：Xi Chen Simon P.Ellingsen Conggui Gan Ye Xu Zhiqiang Shen 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Shanghai Astronomical Observatory [2]Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy,Chinese Academy of Sciences [3]School of Mathematics and Physics,University of Tasmania,Hobart,TAS,Australia [4]National Astronomical Observatories/Yunnan Observatory,Chinese Academy of Sciences [5]Purple Mountain Observatory,Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Chinese Science Bulletin》2014年第11期1066-1077,共12页

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11073041,11133008 and11273043);the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA04060701);China Ministry of Science and Technology under State Key Development Program for Basic Research(2012CB821800);the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams,Key Laboratory for Radio Astronomy,Chinese Academy of Sciences

摘　　要：Class I methanol masers are important tools for investigations of star formation throughout the Universe.Recently, a series of surveys for class I methanol masers at the 95 GHz transition toward samples of young stellar objects have been undertaken. These surveys have resulted in the detection of about 200 new class I methanol masers and combined with previous observations they have increased the number of known class I methanol masers in our Galaxy to *400. From analysis of the relationship between class I methanol maser emission and associated astrophysical objects, it has been shown that the intensity of the class I methanol maser emission is closely correlated with the properties of the 1.1 mm Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey(BGPS) dust continuum sources and outflow properties. This further supports the hypothesis that class Imethanol masers are collisionally pumped and excited in shocked regions. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that the BGPS catalog is likely to provide more reliable samples for targeting further class I methanol maser searches. A new survey for class I methanol masers toward a larger size sample of BGPS sources to test this is currently underway. The prospects for detecting class I methanol megamasers in extragalactic sources is discussed,and observations constituting the first sensitive search have been proposed.Class I methanol masers are important tools for investigations of star formation throughout the Universe. Recently, a series of surveys for class I methanol masers at the 95 GHz transition toward samples of young stellar objects have been undertaken. These surveys have resulted in the detection of about 200 new class I methanol masers and combined with previous increased the number of known observations they have class I methanol masers in our Galaxy to ~400. From analysis of the relationship between class I methanol maser emission and associated astrophysical objects, it has been shown that the intensity of the class I methanol maser emission is closely correlated with the properties of the 1.1 mm Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey （BGPS） dust continuum sources and outflow properties. This further supports the hypothesis that class I methanol masers are collisionally pumped and excited in shocked regions. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that the BGPS catalog is likely to provide more reliable samples for targeting further class I methanol maser searches. A new survey for class I methanol masers toward a larger size sample of BGPS sources to test this is currently underway. The prospects for detecting class I methanol megamasers in extragalactic sources is discussed, and observations constituting the first sensitive search have been proposed.

关 键 词：银河系 甲醇 脉泽 搜索 河外星系 属性相关 微波激射器 恒星形成 

分 类 号：P15[天文地球—天文学]