2021/08/19 by Mark Gorski, Susanne Aalto, S. Aalto +16
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Chemical Physics Studies #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Galaxy #Jansky #Luminosity #Maser #Megamaser #Molecular Spectroscopy and Structure #Physics #Radio galaxy #Star formation #Submillimeter Array #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202141633
published as A&A 654, A110 (2021) · 13 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics
openalex publication_date 2021/08/19 · arxiv created 2021/08/20 · openalex created_date 2021/08/30 · arxiv updated 2021/10/20 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
We present the first search for the 5.29 GHz methanimine (CH 2 NH) 1 10 − 1 11 transition toward a sample of galaxy nuclei. We target seven galaxies that host compact obscured nuclei (CONs) with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. These galaxies are characterized by Compton-thick cores. CH 2 NH emission is detected toward six CONs. The brightness temperatures measured toward Arp 220 indicate maser emission. Isotropic luminosities of the CH 2 NH transition, from all sources where it is detected, exceed 1 L ⊙ and thus may be considered megamasers. We also detect formaldehyde (H 2 CO) emission toward three CONs. The isotropic CH 2 NH luminosities are weakly correlated with the infrared luminosity of the host galaxy and strongly correlated with OH megamaser luminosities from the same galaxies. Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer models suggest that the maser is pumped by the intense millimeter-to-submillimeter Our study suggests that CH 2 NH megamasers are linked to the nuclear processes within 100 pc of the Compton-thick nucleus within CONs.