The circumstellar masers around evolved stars offer an interesting possibility to measure stellar parameters through VLBI astrometry. In this paper the application of this technique is discussed, including the accuracy and the uncertainties of the method. The different maser species (OH, H_2O, SiO) have slightly different characteristics and applications. This paper does not concern astrometry of maser spots to study the kinematics of the envelope, but concentrates on attempting to measure the motion of the underlying star.
The OH 1667 MHz maser in the circumstellar shell around the Mira variable U Herculis has been observed with the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 6 epochs, spread over 4 years. Using phase referencing techniques the position of the most blue-shifted maser spot was monitored with respect to two extra-galactic radio sources. The absolute radio positions of the maser can be compared with the stellar optical position measured by the Hipparcos satellite to 15 mas accuracy. This confirms the model in which one of the maser spots corresponds to the stellar continuum, amplified by the maser. The…
The OH main line masers in circumstellar shells were observed with astrometric VLBI in order to accurately determine the position of the star, as well as its motion, including the parallax. Results are presented on 4 Mira stars monitored for 2 - 8 years with the VLBA. The data show that in some stars the VLBI detection is dominated by blue-shifted emission that is associated with the stellar image amplified by the maser shell in front of the star. In other cases the maser is not directly tied to the stellar position, but still persistent enough to measure proper motion and parallax.
The 22 GHz H_2O masers in the circumstellar envelope of the Mira variable star U Her have been observed with MERLIN using a phase referencing technique to determine accurate astrometric positions. The positions were compared with the optical positions obtained with the Hipparcos satellite to an accuracy of 18 mas. The absolute radio position of the brightest H_2O maser spot is found to match the optical position, indicating that this spot is the stellar image amplified by the maser screen in front of it. The occurrence of an amplified image in the 22 GHz maser can be used to accurately determi…
We present the results of multi-epoch VERA observations of W49N - OH43.8-0.1 water maser pair. Based on the dual-beam VLBI observation with VERA, we successfully obtained the phase-referenced maps of OH43.8-0.1 with respect to the W49N reference spot for 3 epochs with a time span of 6 months. The maps were in good agreement with previous studies obtained with a single-beam VLBI, and were also consistent with each other with an accuracy of about 0.2 mas. Moreover, there are systematic, rather linear displacements of maser feature positions, which may be the relative proper motions of maser feat…
This paper reviews recent advances in the study or circumstellar masers and masers found toward supernova remnants. The review is organized by science focus area, including the astrophysics of extended stellar atmospheres, stellar mass-loss processes and outflows, late-type evolved stellar evolution, stellar maser excitation and chemistry, and the use of stellar masers as independent distance estimators. Masers toward supernova remnants are covered separately. Recent advances and open future questions in this field are explored.
Aims: Accurate distances to evolved stars with high mass loss rates are needed for studies of many of their fundamental properties. However, as these stars are heavily obscured and variable, optical and infrared astrometry is unable to provide enough accuracy. Methods: Astrometry using masers in the circumstellar envelopes can be used to overcome this problem. We have observed the OH masers of a number of Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars for approximately 1 year with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). We have used the technique of phase referencing with in-beam calibrators to test the imp…
We present the first circular polarization measurements of circumstellar H2O masers. Previously the magnetic field in circumstellar envelopes has been estimated using polarization observations of SiO and OH masers. SiO masers are probes of the high temperature and density regime close to the central star. OH masers are found at much lower densities and temperatures, generally much further out in the circumstellar envelope. The detection of the circular polarization of the (6_16 - 5_23) rotational transition of the H2O maser could be attributed to Zeeman splitting due to the magnetic field in t…
We show that in many methanol maser sources the masers are located in lines, with a velocity gradient along them which suggests that the masers are situated in edge-on circumstellar, or protoplanetary, disks. We present VLBI observations of the methanol maser source G309.92+0.48, in the 12.2 GHz transition, which confirm previous observations that the masers in this source lie along a line. We show that such sources are not only linear in space but, in many cases, also have a linear velocity gradient. We then model these and other data in both the 6.7 GHz and the 12.2 GHz transition from a num…
Circumstellar masers are unique tools for probing the envelopes around low mass dying stars using VLBI. In this contribution I briefly review the status of our knowledge on these emissions, especially focusing on the latest results obtained by means of VLBI observations.I also outline some of the new windows that will open for VLBI maser research thanks to the upcoming new instrumentation.
We report on the results of multi-epoch VLBI observations with VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) of the 22 GHz H2O masers associated with the young stellar object SVS 13 in the NGC 1333 region. We have carried out phase-referencing VLBI astrometry and measured an annual parallax of the maser features in SVS 13 of 4.25+/-0.32 mas, corresponding to the distance of 235+/-18 pc from the Sun. Our result is consistent with a photometric distance of 220 pc previously reported. Even though the maser features were detectable only for 6 months, the present results provide the distance to NGC 1…
We report the first VLBI map of the v=0 J=1-0 maser line of 29SiO in the long-period variable star IRC+10011. We have found that this maser emission is composed of multiple spots distributed in an incomplete ring, suggesting that this maser is also amplified tangentially, as already proposed in other SiO circumstellar masers. We present also VLBI maps for the 7 mm 28SiO v=1 and 2 J=1-0 and the 3 mm v=1 J=2-1 lines. The 29SiO masing region appears to be located in a layer in between the 28SiO v=1 J=1-0 and 28SiO v=1 J=2-1 lines. In addition, we confirm that the 86 GHz maser v=1 J=2-1 forms in a…
The main-line OH masers around 4 AGB stars have been observed with the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 8 epochs over a period of 2.5 years. Using a phase referencing technique, the position of the most compact maser spot of each star was monitored with respect to two extragalactic reference sources. For U Her and W Hya, we observe the most blue-shifted maser spot, while for R Cas and S CrB we only detect a compact red-shifted maser spot. We managed to determine an accurate proper motion and parallax for U Her, R Cas and S CrB, while additional motion of the compact blue-shifted maser o…
Oxygen-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are intense emitters of SiO and H$_2$O maser lines at 43 (J=1-0, v=1 and 2) and 22 GHz, respectively. VLBI observations of the maser emission provides a unique tool to sample the innermost layers of the circumstellar envelopes in AGB stars. Nevertheless, the difficulties in achieving astrometrically aligned v=1 and v=2 SiO maser maps have traditionally prevented a unique interpretation of the observations in terms of physical underlying conditions, which depend on the nature of the SiO pumping mechanism. We have carried out observations of the Si…
On this paper, we present simultaneous VLBA observations of the J=1-0 and J=2-1 rotational lines in the v=1 and v=2 vibrationally excited states of SiO (at 7 and 3 mm wavelengths). We have mapped these four maser lines in the circumstellar envelopes of three AGB stars: IRC +10011, Chi Cyg and TX Cam. We study the relative spatial distribution between these maser lines. In particular, for the two v=1 transitions, we found that the J=1-0 and J=2-1 maser spot distributions are unalike, challenging all the current theoretical pumping mechanisms for SiO masers (which predict quite similar distribut…
We present results of multi-epoch VLBI observations with VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) of the 22 GHz H$_{2}$O masers associated with a young stellar object (YSO) IRAS 22198+6336 in a dark cloud L1204G. Based on the phase-referencing VLBI astrometry, we derive an annual parallax of IRAS 22198+6336 to be 1.309$\pm$0.047 mas, corresponding to the distance of 764$\pm$27 pc from the Sun. Although the most principal error source of our astrometry is attributed to the internal structure of the maser spots, we successfully reduce the errors in the derived annual parallax by employing the…
Through polarization observations, circumstellar masers are excellent probes of the magnetic field in the envelopes of late-type stars. Whereas observations of the polarization of the SiO masers close to the star and on the OH masers much further out were fairly commonplace, observations of the magnetic field strength in the intermediate density and temperature region where the 22 GHz water masers occur have only recently become possible. Here we present the analysis of the circular polarization, due to Zeeman splitting, of the water masers around the Mira variable stars U Her and U Ori and th…
We present an overview of the long-term water maser monitoring program of a sample of late-type stars, carried out with the Medicina 32-m and Effelsberg 100-m telescopes, and describe the results in some detail. The role the SRT (Sardinia Radio Telescope) could play in this program is outlined.
We present circular polarization measurements of circumstellar H_2O masers. The circular polarization detected in the (6_{16}-5_{23}) rotational transition of the H_{2}O maser can be attributed to Zeeman splitting in the intermediate temperature and density regime. The magnetic fields are derived using a general, LTE Zeeman analysis as well as a full radiative transfer method (non-LTE), which includes a treatment of all hyperfine components simultaneously as well as the effects of saturation and unequal populations of the magnetic substates. The differences and relevances of these interpretati…
The results of a survey searching for outflows using near-infrared imaging is presented. Targets were chosen from a compiled list of massive young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with methanol masers in linear distributions. Presently, it is a widely held belief that these methanol masers are found in (and delineate) circumstellar accretion disks around massive stars. If this scenario is correct, one way to test the disk hypothesis is to search for outflows perpendicular to the methanol maser distributions. The main objective of the survey was to obtain wide-field near-infrared images of the…
We present circular polarization measurements of circumstellar water masers around 2 Mira variables and 4 supergaint stars. Both an LTE and non-LTE method are used to analyze the circular polarization and total intensity spectra and to obtain the magnetic field strength. The non-LTE method is found to be able to reproduce the observations best. Using this, we find fields from a few hundred milliGauss up to a few Gauss, indicating a solar-type r^(-2) dependence of the magnetic field on the distance, which leads to stellar surface magnetic fields of up to several hundred Gauss. No linear polariz…
We present an edge-on Keplerian disk model to explain the main component of the 12.2 and 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission detected toward NGC7538-IRS1 N. The brightness distribution and spectrum of the line of bright masers are successfully modeled with high amplification of background radio continuum emission along velocity coherent paths through a maser disk. The bend seen in the position-velocity diagram is a characteristic signature of differentially rotating disks. For a central mass of 30 solar masses, suggested by other observations, our model fixes the masing disk to have inner and oute…
Water masers around an AGB star, IRC+60169, were observed at four epochs using the Japanese VLBI networks. The distribution of the maser features is limited in a thick-shell region, which has inner and outer expansion velocities of 7 km/s and 14 km/s at radii of 25 mas and 120 mas, respectively. The distribution of the red-shifted features exhibits a ring-like structure, the diameter of which is 30 mas, and corresponds to the inner radius of the maser shell. This implies that dense gas around the star obscures red-shifted emission. Although a position--radial velocity diagram for the maser fea…
The first high-resolution (5 mas) VLBI observations of 6.7-GHz methanol masers in DR21(OH)N, a candidate circumstellar disc around a very young massive star, are presented. Previous observations of these masers at 50 mas angular resolution revealed a rotating structure at the position of a candidate massive protostar, with a well-sampled position-velocity diagram suggesting Keplerian rotation. Observations presented here using the European VLBI Network (EVN) have provided the first high angular resolution maps of the masers, providing a test for the disc hypothesis and the Gaussian centroiding…
Observations show that 1612 MHz masers of OH/IR stars can fade on a timescale of a decade. This fading is probably associated with the switch from rapid mass loss, which is ultimately linked with an internal He-shell flash, to the much slower mass loss supported by more quiescent conditions. We study the observed maser decay with a composite computational model, comprising a time-dependent chemical model of the envelope, and a radiation transfer model which provides the maser pumping. Our combined model is able to reproduce the rapid decay of maser intensity, following a sudden drop in the ste…
We have searched for 22 GHz H2O and 43/86/129 GHz SiO masers in bright IRAS point sources in the SMC and LMC, to test whether the kinematics of the mass loss from these stars depends on metallicity. H2O masers were detected in the red supergiants IRAS04553-6825 and IRAS05280-6910, and tentatively in the luminous IR object IRAS05216-6753 and the AGB star IRAS05329-6708. SiO masers were detected in IRAS04553-6825. The outflow velocity increases between the H2O masing zone near the dust-formation region and the more distant OH masing zone from 18 to 26 km/s for IRAS04553-6825 and from 6 to 17 km/…
We present VLBI observations of the H$_2$O maser emission towards a selection of massive young stellar objects (YSOs). In one of these sources, IRAS20126+4104, the measured proper motions confirm that the water masers spots are tracing the very root (around 100 AU) of a conical bipolar outflow emerging near the position of the embedded YSO, and are an excellent tool to investigate the structure and kinematics of the outflow/jet. We also present preliminary results of a first epoch EVN observations of a selection of 5 high-mass YSO to assess the precise association of maser spots and molecular …
We report observations of 6cm, 3.6cm, 1.3cm, and 7mm radio continuum, conducted with the Very Large Array towards IRAS18566+0408, one of the few sources known to harbor H2CO 6cm maser emission. Our observations reveal that the emission is dominated by an ionized jet at cm wavelengths. Spitzer/IRAC images from GLIMPSE support this interpretation, given the presence of 4.5um excess emission at approximately the same orientation as the cm continuum. The 7mm emission is dominated by thermal dust from a flattened structure almost perpendicular to the ionized jet, thus, the 7mm emission appears to t…
The study of the innermost circumstellar layers around AGB stars is crucial to understand how these envelopes are formed and evolve. The SiO maser emission occurs at a few stellar radii from the central star, providing direct information on the stellar pulsation and on the chemical and physical properties of these regions. Our data also shed light on several aspects of the SiO maser pumping theory that are not well understood yet. We aim to determine} the relative spatial distribution of the 43 GHz and 86 GHz SiO maser lines in the oxygen-rich evolved star R Leo. We have imaged with milliarcse…
The theory of the generation and transfer of polarized radiation, mainly developed for interpreting solar spectropolarimetric observations, allows to reconsider, in a more rigorous and elegant way, a physical mechanism that has been suggested some years ago to interpret the high degree of polarization often observed in astronomical masers. This mechanism, for which the name of 'dichroic maser' is proposed, can operate when a low density molecular cloud is illuminated by an anisotropic source of radiation (like for instance a nearby star). Here we investigate completely unsaturated masers and s…
We present VLBA observations of water maser emission associated with the star-forming region IRAS 21391+5802, which is embedded in a bright rimmed cometary globule in IC1396. The angular resolution of the maps is about 0.8 mas, corresponding to a spatial resolution of about 0.6 AU, at an estimated distance of 750 pc. Proper motions are derived for 10 maser features identified consistently over three epochs, which were separated by intervals of about one month. The masers appear in four groups, which are aligned linearly on the sky, roughly along a northeast-southwest direction, with a total se…
We present an edge-on Keplerian disc model to explain the main component of the 12.2 and 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission detected toward NGC7538-IRS1 N. The brightness distribution and spectrum of the line of bright masers are successfully modeled with high amplification of background radio continuum emission along velocity coherent paths through a maser disc. The bend seen in the position-velocity diagram is a characteristic signature of differentially rotating discs. For a central mass of 30 solar masses, suggested by other observations, our model fixes the masing disc to have inner and oute…
Context: A large fraction of otherwise similar asymptotic giant branch stars (AGB) do not show OH maser emission. As shown recently, a restricted lifetime may give a natural explanation as to why only part of any sample emits maser emission at a given epoch. Aims: We wish to probe the lifetime of 1612 MHz OH masers in circumstellar shells of AGB stars. Methods: We reobserved a sample of OH/IR stars discovered more than 28 years ago to determine the number of stars that may have since lost their masers. Results: We redetected all 114 OH masers. The minimum lifetime inferred is 2800 years (1 sig…
We present here a mid-infrared imaging survey of 26 sites of water maser emission. Observations were obtained at the InfraRed Telescope Facility 3-m telescope with the University of Florida mid-infrared imager/spectrometer OSCIR, and the JPL mid-infrared camera MIRLIN. The main purpose of the survey was to explore the relationship between water masers and the massive star formation process. It is generally believed that water masers predominantly trace outflows and embedded massive stellar objects, but may also exist in circumstellar disks around young stars. We investigate each of these possi…
I present here the summary of results from a survey by De Buizer (2003) searching for outflows using near-infrared imaging. Targets were massive young stellar objects associated with methanol masers in linear distributions. Presently, it is a widely held belief that these methanol masers are found in (and delineate) circumstellar accretion disks around massive stars. A way to test the disk hypothesis is to search for outflow signatures perpendicular to the methanol maser distributions. The main objective of the survey was to obtain wide-field near-infrared images of the sites of linearly distr…
We present a distance measurement for the semiregular variable S Crateris (S Crt) based on its annual parallax. With the unique dual beam system of the VLBI Exploration for Radio Astrometry (VERA) telescopes, we measured the absolute proper motion of a water maser spot associated with S Crt, referred to the quasar J1147-0724 located at an angular separation of 1.23$^{\circ}$. In observations spanning nearly two years, we have detected the maser spot at the LSR velocity of 34.7 km s$^{-1}$, for which we measured the annual parallax of 2.33$\pm$0.13 mas corresponding to a distance of 430$^{+25}_…
We present the first VLBI images of SiO masers in the circumstellar envelope of an S-type star obtained with the newly developed capabilities of the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 86 GHz. We combine these data with those obtained quasy simultaneously at 43 GHz. These observations provide information on the structure and dynamics of the innermost circumstellar shells, where the return of large quantities of stellar material to the interstellar medium starts. Despite of the fact that these are prelimininary results, we report that the maser emission of the $v$=1 J=1--0 and J=2--1 present a v…
We study the polarization of the SiO maser emission in a representative sample of evolved stars in order to derive an estimate of the strength of the magnetic field, and thus determine the influence of this magnetic field on evolved stars. We made simultaneous spectroscopic measurements of the 4 Stokes parameters, from which we derived the circular and linear polarization levels. The observations were made with the IF polarimeter installed at the IRAM 30m telescope. A discussion of the existing SiO maser models is developed in the light of our observations. Under the Zeeman splitting hypothesi…
We report the first VLBI map of the 7 mm v=0 J=1-0 maser line of the 29-SiO isotopic substitution in the long period variable star IRC+10011. We have found that this maser emission is composed of multiple features distributed in an incomplete ring, suggesting that this maser is also amplified tangentially as already proposed in other SiO circumstellar masers. We present also the results for some 28-SiO 7 mm and 3 mm maser lines. We confirm in this epoch that the 86 GHz maser v=1 J=2-1 in IRC+10011 is formed in an outer region of the circumstellar envelope compared to the other SiO masers studi…
We report Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of 43 GHz v=1, J=1-0 SiO masers in the circumstellar envelope of the M-type semi-regular variable star VX Sgr at 3 epochs during 1999 April-May. These high-resolution VLBA images reveal a persistent ringlike distribution of SiO masers with a projected radius of ~3 stellar radii. The typical angular size of 0.5 mas for individual maser feature was estimated from two-point correlation function analysis for maser spots. We found that the apparent size scale of maser features was distinctly smaller than that observed in the previous observatio…
Astrometric detection of a stellar wobble on the plane of the sky will provide us a next breakthrough in searching extrasolar planets. The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) is expected to achieve a high-precision astrometry as accurate as 1 micro-as, which is precise enough to discover a new-born Jupiter mass planet around a pre-main-sequence (PMS) star in the Taurus-Auriga star forming region. PMS stars, however, have circum-stellar disks that may be obstacles to the precise measurement of the stellar position. We present results on disk influences to the stellar wobble. The density waves ex…
In the near future, the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) will allow surveys for maser sources with unprecedented sensitivity, spectral coverage and spectroscopic capabilities. In particular, comprehensive surveys for many maser species with simultaneous sensitive continuum imaging and absorption studies will give a comprehensive radio picture of star formation in the Galactic plane and elsewhere. Very efficient EVLA surveys for H2O megamasers in Active Galacic Nuclei will be possible to practically arbitrary redshifts. EVLA and Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) studies of H2O and SiO maser…
Maser emission from the SiO molecule has been widely observed in the near-circumstellar envelopes of late-type, evolved stars. VLBI images can resolve individual SiO maser spots, providing information about the kinematics and magnetic field in the extended atmospheres of these stars. This poster presents full polarization images of several SiO maser lines towards the supergiant star VY CMa. VY CMa is a particularly strong SiO maser source and allows observations of a wide range of maser transitions. We discuss implications of these observations for VY CMa morphology, polarization, and pumping …
We present observations of 86 post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars of OH maser transitions, taken with the Parkes Telescope between September 2002 and August 2003. Post-AGB stars are the precursors of planetary nebulae, which have a wide range of morphologies that are not well explained. By studying the circumstellar envelopes of post-AGB stars through the masers produced in them, we hope to shed light on the origin of planetary nebula morphologies.
We wish to understand the reasons for the strong variability of H2O masers in circumstellar shells of late-type stars. We monitored RX Boo and SV Peg in the 22-GHz maser line of water vapour with single-dish telescopes. The monitoring period covered two decades for RX Boo (1987 -- 2007) and 12 years for SV Peg (1990 -- 1995, 2000 -- 2007). In addition, maps were obtained of RX Boo with the Very Large Array over several years. We find that most of the emission in the circumstellar shell of RX Boo is located in an incomplete ring with an inner radius of 91 mas (15 AU). A velocity gradient is fou…
In this contribution I will attempt to show that the study of galactic 6.7 and 12.2GHz methanol masers themselves, as opposed to the use of methanol masers as signposts, can yield important conclusions contributing to the understanding of high-mass star formation. Due to their exclusive association with star formation, methanol masers are the best tools to do this, and their large number allows to probe the entire Galaxy. In particular I will focus on the determination of the luminosity function of methanol masers and on the determination of an unambiguous signature for a circumstellar masing …
The infrared represents an alternative wavelength regime in which to study the environments of maser emission, while at the same time complementing the information obtained through radio techniques. The near infrared (1-2 microns) yields information on outflows, shocks, and reflected dust emission, while the thermal infrared (3-30 microns) yields information on the thermal dust distribution around stars. Thus, the infrared regime yields important clues in determining whether masers exist in shocks, outflows, circumstellar accretion disks, or in the dense medium close to protostars.
We describe an observing campaign using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to monitor the time-evolution of the v=1, J=1-0 SiO maser emission towards the Mira variable TX Cam. The data reported here cover the period 1997 May 24 to 1999 February 19, during which the SiO maser emission was imaged at approximately bi-weekly intervals. The result is an animated movie at an angular resolution of ~500 microarcsec, over a full pulsation period, of the gas motions in the near circumstellar environment of this star, as traced by the SiO maser emission. This paper serves to release the movie and is the…
Context: Maser emission from the H2O molecule probes the warm, inner circumstellar envelopes of oxygen-rich red giant and supergiant stars. Multi-maser transition studies can be used to put constraints on the density and temperature of the emission regions. Aims: A number of known H2O maser lines were observed toward the long period variables R Leo and W Hya and the red supergiant VY CMa. A search for a new, not yet detected line near 475 GHz was conducted toward these stars. Methods: The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment telescope was used for a multi-transition observational study of submillimet…
We have observed the massive star forming region associated with the early B protostar G192.16-3.84 in NH3(1,1), 22.2 GHz water masers, 1.3 cm continuum emission, and at 850 microns. The dense gas associated with G192.16 is clumpy, optically thin, and has a mass of 0.9 Msun. The ammonia core is gravitationally unstable which may signal that the outflow phase of this system is coming to an end. Water masers trace an ionized jet 0.8" (1600 AU at a distance of 2 kpc) north of G192.16. Masers are also located within 500 AU of G192.16, their velocity distribution is consistent with but does not str…
We present the first circular polarization measurements of circumstellar water masers around a sample of late-type stars. These observations are used to obtain the magnetic field strength in the water maser region with both an LTE and non-LTE analysis. We find fields from a few hundred milliGauss up to a few Gauss, indicating a solar-type r^(-2) dependence of the magnetic field on the distance. No linear polarization is detected to less than 1%.
The European VLBI Network (EVN) has been used to make phase referenced, wide-field (several arcminute) spectral line observations of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission towards W51. In the W51main region, the bulk of the methanol is offset from an UCHII region. This probably indicates the methanol emission arises at the interface of the expanding UCHII region and not from an edge-on circumstellar disc, as previously suggested. Near the W51 IRS2 region, the methanol emission is associated with a very compact, extremely embedded source supporting the hypothesis that methanol masers trace the ear…
We have undertaken toward 30 Mira or semi-regular variables and one OH/IR object highly sensitive observations of the v=1, J=2-1 and 3-2 transitions of SiO simultaneously with observations of the J=1-0 transition of CO during three observing sessions in the period 1995 to 1996. As in our previous observations of 1994, we observe that for several stars the SiO profiles exhibit unusually broad wings which sometimes exceed the terminal velocity of the expanding circumstellar envelope traced by the thermal CO emission. We have discovered a clear dependence of the SiO wing emission on the optical p…
We have obtained high resolution mid-infrared images of the high mass protostar NGC 7538 IRS 1 using Michelle on Gemini North and find that the circumstellar dust associated with this source is extended on both large and small scales. The large-scale mid-infrared emission is asymmetric about the peak of IRS 1, being more extended to the northwest than the southeast. The position angle of the mid-infrared emission is similar to the position angle of the linearly distributed methanol masers at this location which are thought to trace a circumstellar disk. However, this position angle is also ver…
We present the analysis of the circular polarization, due to Zeeman splitting, of the water masers around a sample of late-type stars to determine the magnetic fields in their circumstellar envelopes. The magnetic field strengths in the water maser regions around the Mira variable stars U Ori and U Her are shown to be several Gauss while those of the supergiants S Per, NML Cyg and VY CMa are several hundred mG. We also show that large scale magnetic fields permeate the CSE of an evolved star; the polarization of the water masers around VX Sgr reveals a dipole field structure. We shortly discus…
Our mid-infrared and near-infrared surveys over the last five years have helped to strengthen and clarify the relationships between water, methanol, and OH masers and the star formation process. Our surveys show that maser emission seems to be more closely associated with mid-infrared emission than cm radio continuum emission from UC HII regions. We find that masers of all molecular species surveyed trace a wide variety of phenomena and show a proclivity for linear distributions. The vast majority of these linear distributions can be explained by outflows or shocks, and in general do not appea…
I-band images of the OH maser source OH44.8-2.3 are presented. Having a well-determined distance, this object is shown to be very young and physically small, with an asymmetric compact bipolar nebula already present. In the morphological terminology of Meixner et al. (2000) and Ueta et al. (2000), this object would be classified as a DUPLEX nebula because of its high optical depth and pole-to-equator density contrast.
We present linear and circular polarization observations of the water masers in 4 distinct regions spread over 1x2 arcseconds around the HW2 high-mass young stellar object in the Cepheus A star-forming region. We find magnetic fields between 100-500 mG in the central maser region, which has been argued to trace a circumstellar disk. The masers further from HW2 have field strengths between 30-100 mG. In all cases the magnetic field pressure is found to be similar to the dynamic pressure, indicating that the magnetic field is capable of controlling the outflow dynamics around HW2. In addition to…
We report observations of water masers around the semiregular variable RT Virginis (RT Vir), which have been made with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) at five epochs, each separated by three weeks of time. We detected about 60 maser features at each epoch. Overall, 61 features, detected at least twice, were tracked by their radial velocities and proper motions. The 3-D maser kinematics exhibited a circumstellar envelope that is expanding roughly spherically with a velocity of about 8 km/s. Asymmetries in both the spatial and velocity distr…
