The 6.7 GHz maser transition of methanol has been found exclusively towards massive star forming regions. A majority of the masers have been found to lack the presence of any associated radio continuum. This could be due to the maser emission originating prior to the formation of an HII region around the central star, or from the central object being too cool to produce a HII region. One way to distinguish between the two scenarios is to determine and model the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the masers. We observed a sample of 20 6.7 GHz methanol masers selected from the blind Arecibo survey, from centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths. We combined our observations with existing data from various Galactic plane surveys to determine SEDs from centimeter to near-infrared wavelengths. We find that 70% of the masers do not have any associated radio continuum, with the rest of the sources being associated with hypercompact and ultracompact HII regions. Modeling the SEDs shows them to be consistent with rapidly accreting massive stars, with accretion rates well above 10^{-3} M_sun/yr. The upper limits on the radio continuum are also consistent with any ionized region being confined close to the stellar surface. This confirms the paradigm of 6.7 GHz methanol masers being signposts of early phases of massive star formation, mostly prior to the formation of a hypercompact HII region.
We report the results of a search for class II methanol masers at 37.7, 38.3 and 38.5 GHz towards a sample of 70 high-mass star formation regions. We primarily searched towards regions known to show emission either from the 107 GHz class II methanol maser transition, or from the 6.035 GHz excited OH transition. We detected maser emission from 13 sources in the 37.7 GHz transition, eight of these being new detections. We detected maser emission from three sources in the 38 GHz transitions, one of which is a new detection. We find that 37.7 GHz methanol masers are only associated with the most l…
This is the second paper in a series of catalogues of 22-GHz water maser observations towards the 6.7-GHz methanol masers from the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) Survey. In this paper we present our water maser observations made with the Australia Telescope Compact Array towards the masers from the MMB survey between l = 341$^{\circ}$ through the Galactic centre to l = 6$^{\circ}$. Of the 204 6.7-GHz methanol masers in this longitude range we found 101 to have associated water maser emission (~ 50 per cent). We found no difference in the 6.7-GHz methanol maser luminosities of those with and without …
We present the third instalment of a series of catalogues presenting 12.2-GHz methanol maser observations made towards each of the 6.7-GHz methanol masers detected in the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) Survey. The current portion of the catalogue includes the Galactic longitude region 10 to 20 degrees, where we detect 47 12.2-GHz methanol masers towards 99 6.7-GHz targets. We compare the occurrence of 12.2-GHz methanol masers with water maser emission, for which all 6.7-GHz methanol masers in the 6 to 20 degrees longitude range have now been searched. We suggest that the water masers follow a more c…
We present definitive detection statistics for 12.2 GHz methanol masers towards a complete sample of 6.7 GHz methanol masers detected in the Methanol Multibeam survey south of declination -20 degrees. In total, we detect 250 12.2 GHz methanol masers towards 580 6.7 GHz methanol masers. This equates to a detection rate of 43.1%, which is lower than that of previous significant searches of comparable sensitivity. Both the velocity ranges and the flux densities of the target 6.7 GHz sources surpass that of their 12.2 GHz companion in almost all cases. 80 % of the detected 12.2 GHz methanol maser …
We have used the Australia Telescope National Facility Mopra 22-m antenna to search for 37.7-GHz (7(-2) - 8(-1}E) methanol masers towards a sample of thirty six class II methanol masers. The target sources are the most luminous class II methanol masers not previously searched for this transition, with isotropic peak 12.2-GHz maser luminosity greater than 250 Jy/kpc^2 and isotropic peak 6.7-GHz maser luminosity greater than 800 Jy/kpc^2. Seven new 37.7-GHz methanol masers were detected as a result of the search. The detection rate for 37.7-GHz methanol masers towards a complete sample of all su…
22 GHz water and 6.7 GHz methanol masers are usually thought as signposts of early stages of high-mass star formation but little is known about their associations and the physical environments they occur in. The aim was to obtain accurate positions and morphologies of the water maser emission and relate them to the methanol maser emission recently mapped with Very Long Baseline Interferometry. A sample of 31 methanol maser sources was searched for 22 GHz water masers using the VLA and observed in the 6.7 GHz methanol maser line with the 32 m Torun dish simultaneously. Water maser clusters were…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to undertake the first high-resolution observations of the 19.9-GHz methanol maser transition. The emission is coincident with the location of the targeted 6.7-GHz methanol masers to within 0.2 arcseconds in absolute position. We find that the relative distribution of the 19.9-GHz maser emission in our sample differs from that observed in the 6.7-GHz transition, in contrast to the similar distribution often seen in the 6.7- and 12.2-GHz methanol masers in many sources. We also find that the peak velocity for the 19.9-GHz methanol masers is fre…
We present the second portion of a catalogue of 12.2-GHz methanol masers detected towards 6.7-GHz methanol masers observed in the unbiased Methanol Multibeam (MMB) Survey. Using the Parkes radio telescope we have targeted all 207 6.7-GHz methanol masers in the longitude range 186 to 330 degrees for 12.2-GHz counterparts. We report the detection of 83 12.2-GHz methanol masers, and one additional source which we suspect is thermal emission, equating to a detection rate of 40 per cent. Of the 83 maser detections, 39 are reported here for the first time. We discuss source properties, including var…
The revised version of the class I methanol maser catalog is presented. It contains 198 sources - new class I methanol masers detected in the direction of EGOs were added to the previous number (~160 sources have been published in the first version of this catalog - see reference in the text). Electronic version has been generated in the form of html file - http://www.asc.rssi.ru/MMI A statistical analysis was carried out within 2' around a maser position to find an identification of class I methanol masers with any objects typical for star-forming regions - UCHII regions, IRAS sources, bipola…
As the recent publication by Breen et al (2013) found Class II methanol masers are exclusively associated with high mass star forming regions. Based on the positions of the Class I and II methanol and H$_{2}$O masers, UC H II regions and 4.5 $μ$m infrared sources, and the center velocities ($v_{\text{LSR}}$) of the Class I methanol and H$_{2}$O masers, compared to the $v_{\text{LSR}}$ of the Class II methanol masers, we propose three disk-outflow models that may be traced by methanol masers. In all three models, we have located the Class II methanol maser near the protostar, and the Class I me…
We report on the interferometric detection of 36.2 GHz Class I methanol emission with the new 27-40 GHz Ka band receivers available on the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). The brightness temperatures of the interferometric 36 GHz detections unambiguously indicate for the first time that the emission is maser emission. The 36 GHz methanol masers are not co-spatial with 1720 MHz OH masers, indicating that the two species trace different shocks. The 36 GHz and 44 GHz methanol masers, which both are collisionally pumped, do not necessarily co-exist and may trace different methanol gas. The methan…
A number of mechanisms to understand the periodic class II methanol masers associated with some high-mass star forming regions have been proposed in the past. Two recent proposals, ie. by Parfenov &Sobolev (2014) and Sanna et al. (2015) have been presented in order to explain the periodic masers in sources with light curves similar to the methanol masers in G9.62+0.20E. We evaluate to what extent the proposals and models presented by these authors can explain the light curve of the methanol masers in G9.62+0.20E. It is argued that neither of the proposed mechanisms can reproduce the light curv…
The collisional excitation of methanol molecule in non-dissociative magnetohydrodynamic shock waves is considered. All essential chemical processes that determine methanol abundance in the gas are taken into account in the shock model. The large velocity gradient approximation is used in the calculations of energy level populations of the molecule. We calculate the optical depth for inverted methanol transitions, and present the list of candidates for Class I methanol masers that have collisional pumping mechanism.
We present the first detection of a 6.7 GHz Class II methanol (CH3OH) maser in the Andromeda galaxy (M31). The CH3OH maser was found in a Very Large Array (VLA) survey during the fall of 2009. We have confirmed the methanol maser with the new Expanded VLA (EVLA), in operation since March 2010, but were unsuccessful in detecting a water maser at this location. A direct application for this methanol maser is the determination of the proper motion of M31, such as was obtained with water masers in M33 and IC10 previously. Unraveling the three-dimensional velocity of M31 would solve for the biggest…
The 22.2 GHz water masers are often associated with the 6.7 GHz methanol masers but owing to the different excitation conditions they likely probe independent spatial and kinematic regions around the powering young massive star. We compared the emission of these two maser species on milliarcsecond scales to determine in which structures the masers arise and to test a disc-outflow scenario where the methanol emission arises in a circumstellar disc while the water emission comes from an outflow. We obtained high-angular and spectral resolution 22.2 GHz water maser observations of the two sources…
The NGC 2024 FIR 6 region was observed in the water maser line at 22 GHz and the methanol class I maser lines at 44, 95, and 133 GHz. The water maser spectra displayed several velocity components and month-scale time variabilities. Most of the velocity components may be associated with FIR 6n, while one component was associated with FIR 4. A typical life time of the water-maser velocity-components is about 8 months. The components showed velocity fluctuations with a typical drift rate of about 0.01 km/s/day. The methanol class I masers were detected toward FIR 6. The methanol emission is confi…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to undertake the first high angular resolution observations of 37.7-GHz ($7_{-2} - 8_{-1}E$) methanol masers towards a sample of eleven high-mass star formation regions which host strong 6.7-GHz methanol masers. The 37.7-GHz methanol sites are coincident to within the astrometric uncertainty (0.4 arcseconds) with the 6.7-GHz methanol masers associated with the same star formation region. However, spatial and spectral comparison of the 6.7- and 37.7-GHz maser emission within individual sources shows that the 37.7-GHz masers are less ofte…
We have used the Swedish ESO Submillimetre Telescope (SEST) to search for new class II methanol maser transitions towards the southern source G345.01+1.79. Over a period of 5 days we observed 11 known or predicted class II methanol maser transitions. Emission with the narrow line width and characteristic velocity of class II methanol masers (in this source) was detected in 8 of these transitions, two of which have not previously been reported as masers. The new class II methanol maser transitions are the 13(-3)-12(-4)E transition at 104.1 GHz and the 5(1)-4(2)E transition at 216.9 GHz. Both of…
We have used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to search for 36 GHz and 44 GHz methanol (CH3OH) lines in a sample of 21 Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs). Mainly the regions of the SNRs with 1720 MHz OH masers were observed. Despite the limited spatial extent covered in our search, methanol masers were detected in both G1.4-0.1 and W28. Additional masers were found in SgrAEast. More than 40 masers were found in G1.4-0.1 which we deduce are due to interactions between the SNR and at least two separate molecular clouds. The six masers in W28 are associated with the molecular cloud that …
Recently, a comparison between the locations of 6.7-GHz methanol masers and dust continuum emission has renewed speculation that these masers can be associated with evolved stars. The implication of such a scenario would be profound, especially for the interpretation of large surveys for 6.7-GHz masers, individual studies where high-mass star formation has been inferred from the presence of 6.7-GHz methanol masers, and for the pumping mechanisms of these masers. We have investigated the two instances where 6.7-GHz methanol masers have been explicitly suggested to be associated with evolved sta…
We have investigated the central region of NGC 253 for the presence of 84.5-GHz ($5_{-1}\rightarrow4_0$E) methanol emission using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. We present the second detection of 84.5-GHz class~I methanol maser emission outside the Milky Way. This maser emission is offset from dynamical centre of NGC 253, in a region with previously detected emission from class~I maser transitions (36.2-GHz $4_{-1}\rightarrow3_0$E and 44.1-GHz $7_{0}\rightarrow6_1$A$^{+}$ methanol lines) . The emission features a narrow linewidth ($\sim$12 km s$^{-1}$) with a luminosity approximately 5…
We present observations of the 36- (4_-1 -> 3_0E) and 84-GHz (5_-1 -> 4_0 E) class I methanol maser transitions towards a sample of 94 known class I sites. These observations resulted in 93 and 92 detections in the 84- and 36-GHz transitions. While the majority of the 36-GHz sources have been previously reported, many of the sites are observed in the 84-GHz transition for the first time. The near-simultaneous observations of the two transitions revealed strikingly similar spectral profiles and a mean and median 36- to 84-GHz integrated flux density ratio of 2.6 and 1.4. Alongside the 36- and 8…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to observe the 36.2-GHz class I methanol maser emission towards NGC253 and find that it is located at the interface between the nuclear ring and both ends of the galactic bar. This is thought to be the location of the inner Linblad resonance and we suggest that the maser emission in this region is likely due to large-scale cloud-cloud collisions. We have detected the first extragalactic 44.1-GHz class I methanol maser and find that it is associated with the 36.2-GHz maser emission. In contrast to the class I methanol masers found in Gal…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make new observations of the 36.2-GHz ($4_{-1}\rightarrow3_0$E) methanol transition toward NGC 4945 and NGC 253. These observations have revealed the presence of new maser components toward these galaxies, and have provided the first clear evidence for variability in extragalactic class~I methanol masers. Alongside the new observations of NGC 4945 and NGC 253, we present the results of recent 36.2-GHz methanol maser searches toward 12 galaxies, placing upper limits on the emission from the 36.2-GHz class~I transition and the 37.7-GHz…
The Extraordinary Maser Flaring Event in the Massive Protostellar System NGC6334I: Multi-Epoch Milliarcsecond Resolution Investigation of the 6.7-GHz Methanol Masers
We present the results of studies of a new class of 6.7 GHz methanol maser sources with a ring-like emission structure discovered recently with the EVN. We have used the VLA to search for water masers at 22 GHz and radio continuum at 8.4 GHz towards a sample of high-mass star forming regions showing a ring-like distribution of methanol maser spots. Using the Gemini telescopes we found mid-infrared (MIR) counterparts of five methanol rings with a resolution of 0."15. The centres of methanol maser rings are located within, typically, only 0."2 of the MIR emission peak, implying their physical re…
We present the fourth portion of a Galactic Plane survey of methanol masers at 6668 MHz, spanning the longitude range 186 degrees to 330 degrees. We report 207 maser detections, 89 new to the survey. This completes the southern sky part of the Methanol Multibeam survey and includes a large proportion of new sources, 43%. We also include results from blind observations of the Orion-Monoceros star forming region, formally outside the latitude range of the Methanol Multibeam survey; only the four previously known methanol emitting sites were detected, of which we present new positions and spectra…
We investigate which structures the 6.7 GHz methanol masers trace in the environment of high-mass protostar candidates by observing a homogenous sample of methanol masers selected from Torun surveys. We also probed their origins by looking for associated H II regions and IR emission. We selected 30 methanol sources with improved position accuracies achieved using MERLIN and another 3 from the literature. We imaged 31 of these using the European VLBI Network's expanded array of telescopes with 5-cm (6-GHz) receivers. We used the VLA to search for 8.4 GHz radio continuum counterparts and inspect…
We report on the detection of 44 GHz Class I methanol (CH3OH) maser emission in the SgrA complex with the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). These EVLA observations show that the SgrA complex harbors at least four different tracers of shocked regions in the radio regime. The 44 GHz masers correlate with the positions and velocities of previously detected 36 GHz CH3OH masers, but less with 1720 MHz OH masers. Our detections agree with theoretical predictions that the densities and temperatures conducive for 1720 MHz OH masers may also produce 36 and 44 GHz CH3OH maser emission. However, many 44 …
(Abridged) Recently, the magnetic field induced Zeeman splitting was measured for the strongest known 6.7 GHz methanol maser, which arises in the massive star forming region G09.62+0.20. This maser is one of a handful of periodically flaring methanol masers. The 100-m Effelsberg telescope was used to monitor the 6.7 GHz methanol masers of G09.62+0.20. With the exception of a two week period during the peak of the maser flare, we measure a constant magnetic field of B_||~11+-2 mG in the two strongest maser components of G09.62+0.20 that are separated by over 200 AU. In the two week period that …
We present a catalogue of 12.2-GHz methanol masers detected towards 6.7-GHz methanol masers observed in the unbiased Methanol Multibeam (MMB) survey in the longitude range 330\circ (through 360\circ) to 10\circ. This is the first portion of the catalogue which, when complete, will encompass all of the MMB detections. We report the detection of 184 12.2-GHz sources towards 400 6.7-GHz methanol maser targets, equating to a detection rate of 46 per cent. Of the 184 12.2-GHz detections, 117 are reported here for the first time. We draw attention to a number of 'special' sources, particularly those…
6.7 GHz methanol masers are the brightest of class II methanol masers that are regarded as excellent signposts in the formation of young massive stars. We present here a molecular line study of 68 6.7 GHz methanol maser hosts chosen from the MMB catalogue, that have MALT90 data available. We performed (1) pixel-by-pixel study of 9 methanol maser sources that have high signal-to-noise ratio and (2) statistical study taking into account the entire 68 sources. We estimated the molecular column densities and abundances of N$_2$H$^+$(1-0), HCO$^+$(1-0), HCN(1-0) and HNC(1-0) lines. The derived abun…
We report the first detection of the Zeeman effect in the 36 GHz Class I methanol maser line. The observations were carried out with 13 antennas of the EVLA toward the high mass star forming region M8E. Based on our adopted Zeeman splitting factor of $z = 1.7 Hz/mG, we detect a line of sight magnetic field of -31.3 +/- 3.5 mG and 20.2 +/- 3.5 mG to the northwest and southeast of the maser line peak respectively. This change in sign over a 1300 AU size scale may indicate that the masers are tracing two regions with different fields, or that the same field curves across the regions where the mas…
Class I methanol masers are found to be good tracers of the interaction between outflows from massive young stellar objects with their surrounding media. Although polarization observations of Class II methanol masers have been able to provide information about magnetic fields close to the central (proto)stars, polarization observations of Class I methanol masers are rare, especially at 44 and 95 GHz. We present the results of linear polarization observations of 39 Class I methanol maser sources at 44 and 95 GHz. These two lines are observed simultaneously with one of the 21 m Korean VLBI Netwo…
We present a second epoch of observations of the 44 GHz Class I methanol maser line toward the star forming region OMC-2. The observations were carried out with the Very Large Array, and constitute one of the first successful Zeeman effect detections with the new WIDAR correlator. Comparing to the result of our earlier epoch of data for this region, we find that the intensity of the maser increased by 50%, but the magnetic field value has stayed the same, within the errors. This suggests that the methanol maser may be tracing the large-scale magnetic field that is not affected by the bulk gas …
We performed a systematic 6.7 GHz Class \uppercase\expandafter{\romannumeral2} methanol maser survey using the Shanghai Tianma Radio Telescope toward targets selected from the all-sky \emph{Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)} point catalog. In this paper, we report the results from the survey of those at high Galactic latitudes, i.e. $|b|>$ 2$^\circ$. Of 1473 selected \emph{WISE} point sources at high latitude, 17 point positions that were actually associated with 12 sources were detected with maser emission, reflecting the rarity (1$-$2\%) of methanol masers in the region away from th…
We review properties of all known collisionally pumped (class I) methanol maser series based on observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Mopra radio telescope. Masers at 36, 84, 44 and 95 GHz are most widespread, while 9.9, 25, 23.4 and 104 GHz masers are much rarer, tracing the most energetic shocks. A survey of many southern masers at 36 and 44 GHz suggests that these two transitions are highly complementary. The 23.4 GHz maser is a new type of rare class I methanol maser, detected only in two high-mass star-forming regions, G357.97-0.16 and G343.12-0.06, and sh…
We report the discovery of periodic flares of 6.7GHz methanol maser in the young massive stellar object G22.357+0.066. The target was monitored in the methanol maser line over 20 months with the Torun 32m telescope. The emission was also mapped at two epochs using the EVN. The 6.7GHz methanol maser shows periodic variations with a period of 179 days. The periodic behavior is stable for the last three densely sampled cycles and has even been stable over ~12 years, as the archival data suggest. The maser structure mapped with the EVN remains unchanged at two epochs just at the putative flare max…
We present the first internal motion measurement of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser within S269, a small HII region in the outer Galaxy, which was carried out in 2006 and 2011 using the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN). Several maser groups and weak isolated spots were detected in an area spanning by ~200 mas (1000 AU). Three remarkable maser groups are aligned at a position angle of 80 degree. Two of three maser groups were also detected by a previous observation in 1998, which allowed us to study a long-term position variation of maser spots from 1998 to 2011. The angular separation between the two gr…
Maser lines from different molecular species, including water, hydroxyl, and methanol, are common observational phenomena associated with massive star forming regions. In particular, the methanol maser appears as an ideal tool to study the early phases of massive star formation. However, it is difficult to establish the exact start of the methanol maser phase, and it would then be interesting to detect and study low-flux density methanol masers (i.e., < 0.1 Jy or even << 0.1 Jy), in order to determine if they can effectively be used to mark a specific evolutionary phase in high-mass star forma…
The results of a maser survey toward ninety-nine protostars in the Orion molecular cloud complex are presented. The target sources are low-mass protostars identified from infrared observations. Single-dish observations were carried out in the water maser line at 22 GHz and the methanol class I maser lines at 44, 95, and 133 GHz. Most of the detected sources were mapped to determine the source positions. Five water maser sources were detected, and they are excited by HH 1-2 VLA 3, HH 1-2 VLA 1, L1641N MM1/3, NGC 2071 IRS 1/3, and an object in the OMC 3 region. The water masers showed significan…
We have searched for emission from the 36.2 GHz ($4_{-1} \rightarrow 3_0$E) methanol transition towards NGC 4945, using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. 36.2 GHz methanol emission was detected offset south-east from the Galactic nucleus. The methanol emission is narrow, with a linewidth <10 kms$^{-1}$, and a luminosity five orders of magnitude higher than Galactic class I masers from the same transition. These characteristics combined the with physical separation from the strong central thermal emission suggests that the methanol emission is a maser. This emission is a factor of $\sim90$…
We conducted VLA C-configuration observations to measure positions and luminosities of Galactic Class II 6.7 GHz methanol masers and their associated ultra-compact H II regions. The spectral resolution was 3.90625 kHz and the continuum sensitivity reached 45 \uJypb. We mapped 372 methanol masers with peak flux densities of more than 2 Jy selected from the literature, 367 of them were detected. Absolute positions have nominal uncertainties of 0.3 arcsec. In this first paper on the data analysis, we present three catalogs, the first gives information on the strongest feature of 367 methanol mase…
The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) spans the inner ~450 pc (3 degrees) of our Galaxy. This region is defined by its enhanced molecular emission and contains 5% of the entire Galaxy's molecular gas mass. However, the number of detected star forming sites towards the CMZ may be low for the amount of molecular gas that is present, and improved surveys of star formation indicators can help clarify this. With the Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), we conducted a blind survey of 6.7 GHz methanol masers spanning the inner 3deg x 40arcmin (450 pc x 100 pc) of the Galaxy. We detected 43 methanol maser…
Class I methanol masers are believed to be produced in the shock-excited environment around star-forming regions. Many authors have argued that the appearance of various subsets of class I masers may be indicative of specific evolutionary stages of star formation or excitation conditions. Until recently, however, no major interferometer was capable of imaging the important 36 GHz transition. We report on Expanded Very Large Array observations of the 36 GHz methanol masers and Submillimeter Array observations of the 229 GHz methanol masers in DR21(OH), DR21N, and DR21W. The distribution of 36 G…
We present the results of unbiased 22 GHz H2O water and 44 GHz class I CH3OH methanol maser surveys in the central 7x10 arcmin area of NGC 1333 and two additional mapping observations of a 22 GHz water maser in a ~3x3arcmin area of the IRAS4A region. In the 22 GHz water maser survey of NGC 1333 with sensitivity of sigma~0.3Jy, we confirmed masers toward H2O(B) in the region of HH 7-11 and IRAS4B. We also detected new water masers at ~20arcsec away in the western direction of IRAS4B or ~25arcsec away in the southern direction of IRAS4A. We could not however find young stellar objects or molecul…
We have used the University of Tasmania Mt Pleasant 26m radio telescope to investigate the polarisation characteristics of a sample of strong 6.7 GHz methanol masers, the first spectral line polarisation observations to be undertaken with this instrument. As part of this process we have developed a new technique for calibrating linear polarisation spectral line observations. This calibration method gives results consistent with more traditional techniques, but requires much less observing time on the telescope. We have made the first polarisation measurements of a number of 6.7 GHz methanol ma…
We have constructed the largest sample of dust-associated class II 6.7 GHz methanol masers yet obtained. New measurements from the the Methanol MultiBeam (MMB) Survey were combined with the 870 $μ$m APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL) and the 850 $μ$m JCMT Plane Survey (JPS). Together with two previous studies we have now identified the host clumps for 958 methanol masers across the Galactic Plane, covering approximately 99% of the MMB catalogue and increasing the known sample of dust-associated masers by over 30%. We investigate correlations between the physical properti…
We report the detection of the Zeeman effect in the 44 GHz Class I methanol maser line toward the star forming region DR21(OH). In a 219 Jy/beam maser centered at an LSR velocity of 0.83 km s$^{-1}$, we find a 20-$σ$ detection of $zB_{\text{los}} = 53.5 \pm 2.7$ Hz. If 44 GHz methanol masers are excited at $n \sim 10^{7-8}$ cm$^{-3}$, then the $B~vs.~n^{1/2}$ relation would imply from comparison with Zeeman effect detections in the CN($1-0$) line toward DR21(OH) that magnetic fields traced by 44 GHz methanol masers in DR21(OH) should be $\sim$10 mG. Together with our detected $zB_{\text{los}} …
We report the discovery of the Zeeman effect in the 44 GHz Class I methanol maser line. The observations were carried out with 22 antennas of the EVLA toward a star forming region in OMC-2. Based on our adopted Zeeman splitting factor of z = 1.0 Hz/mG, we detect a line of sight magnetic field of 18.4 +/- 1.1 mG toward this source. Since such 44 GHz methanol masers arise from shocks in the outflows of star forming regions, we can relate our measurement of the post-shock magnetic field to field strengths indicated by species tracing pre-shock regions, and thus characterize the large scale magnet…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make the first high resolution observations of a large sample of class~I methanol masers in the 95-GHz ($8_0$--$7_1$A$^+$) transition. The target sources consist of a statistically complete sample of 6.7-GHz class~II methanol masers with an associated 95-GHz class~I methanol maser, enabling a detailed study of the relationship between the two methanol maser classes at arcsecond angular resolution. These sources have been previously observed at high resolution in the 36- and 44-GHz transitions, allowing comparison between all three cl…
We present results of 13CO(1-0), C18O(1-0), and HCO+(1-0) map observations and N2H+2 (1-0) single point observations directed towards a sample of nine low-luminosity 6.7-GHz masers. N2H+ line emission has been detected from six out of nine sources, C18O line emission has been detected from eight out of nine sources, and HCO+ and 13CO emission has been detected in all sources. In particular, a "blue profile" of the HCO+ spectrum, a signature of inflow, is found towards one source. From integrated intensity emission maps, we identified 17 cores in the sample. Among them, nine cores are closely a…
Methanol masers at 6.7 GHz are the brightest of class II methanol masers and have been found exclusively towards massive star forming regions. These masers can thus be used as a unique tool to probe the early phases of massive star formation. We present here a study of the spectral energy distributions of 320 6.7 GHz methanol masers chosen from the MMB catalogue, which fall in the Hi-GAL range ($|l| \le 60^{\circ}$, $|b| \le 1^{\circ}$). The spectral energy distributions are constructed from $870 - 70~μ$m using data from the ATLASGAL and Hi-GAL surveys. The emission from cold dust is modelled …
Among the tracers of the earliest phases in the massive star formation process, methanol masers have gained increasing importance. The phenomenological distinction between Class I and II methanol masers is based on their spatial association with objects such as jets, cores, and ultracompact HII regions, but is also believed to correspond to different pumping mechanisms: radiation for Class II masers, collisions for Class I masers. In this work, we have surveyed a large sample of massive star forming regions - 296 objects divided into two groups named 'High' and 'Low' according to their [25-12]…
We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to search for a number of centimetre wavelength methanol transitions which are predicted to show weak maser emission towards star formation regions. Sensitive, high spatial and spectral resolution observations towards four high-mass star formation regions which show emission in a large number of class II methanol maser transitions did not result in any detections. From these observations we are able to place an upper limit of <~1300K on the brightness temperature of any emission from the $3_1$A$^+$-$3_1$A$^-$, $17_{-2}$-$18_{-3}$E ($v_t…
We present a review of the properties of Class I methanol masers detected in low-mass star forming regions (LMSFRs). These masers, henceforth called LMMIs, are associated with postshock gas in the lobes of chemically active outflows in LMSFRs NGC1333, NGC2023, HH25, and L1157. LMMIs share the main properties with powerful masers in regions of massive star formation and are a low-luminosity edge of the total Class I maser population. However, the exploration of just these objects may push forward the exploration of Class I masers, since many LMSFRs are located only 200--300 pc from the Sun, mak…
Ring-like distributions of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser spots at milliarcsecond scales represent a family of molecular structures of unknown origin associated with high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs). We aim to study G23.657-00.127, which has a nearly circular ring of the 6.7 GHz methanol masers, and is the most suitable target to test hypotheses on the origin of the maser rings. The European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (EVN) was used at three epochs spanning 10.3 yr to derive the spatio-kinematical structure of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission in the target. The maser clou…
We present the second portion of an unbiased survey of the Galactic plane for 6668-MHz methanol masers. This section of the survey spans the longitude range 6 degrees to 20 degrees. We report the detection of 119 maser sources, of which 42 are new discoveries. The masers are tightly constrained to the Galactic plane, with only four outside a latitude range of +/- 1 degree. This longitude region includes the brightest known 6668-MHz methanol maser, 9.621+0.196, as well as the two brightest newly discovered sources in the southern survey as a whole. We list all the sources associated with the 3-…
We derive kinematic distances to the 86 6.7 GHz methanol masers discovered in the Arecibo Methanol Maser Galactic Plane Survey. The systemic velocities of the sources were derived from 13CO (J=2-1), CS (J=5-4), and NH3 observations made with the ARO Submillimeter Telescope, the APEX telescope, and the Effelsberg 100 m telescope, respectively. Kinematic distance ambiguities were resolved using HI self-absorption with HI data from the VLA Galactic Plane Survey. We observe roughly three times as many sources at the far distance compared to the near distance. The vertical distribution of the sourc…
