Search for OH masers with the Effelsberg and Green Bank radio telescopes in galaxies with H2O maser emission

Figure: Artistic representation of an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) (Credits: ESA/NASA, AVO project and Paolo Padovani). OH megamasers are generally associated with the AGN torus, while H2O megamasers are associated with accretion discs, radio jets and outflow phenomena.

Abstract:
Masers observed outside our Galaxy appear to be particularly bright compared to those in the Milky Way, so much so that some are called Megamasers. Among the most observed are water and hydroxyl masers, generally associated with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). However, these two types of megamasers seem to be mutually exclusive because, with the exception of Arp 299 and two other recently reported objects (IIZW 96 and IRAS 17526), this phenomenon is not observed in both molecules in the same galaxy.

In this seminar, I will report on the search for OH masers carried out with the Effelsberg and Green Bank radio telescopes in galaxies with H2O maser emission, with the aim of expanding the list of galaxies hosting such sources and providing new elements for investigating the relationship that allows their coexistence in the same galaxy.

———————————————————————————————————

Today, Astro Chiacchiere! is an informal meeting between the staff of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory (staff, postdocs and students), which aims to discuss topics of a mainly scientific, technological and informative nature concerning the activities of the Observatory. The meeting is usually held on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. in the Auditorium of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory. For information and/or contributions, please contact vvacca@oa-cagliari.inaf.it and surcis@oa-cagliari.inaf.it.