Radio Continuum Emission (radio + continuum_emission)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Australia Telescope Compact Array 1.2-cm observations of the massive star-forming region G305.2+0.2

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2007
Andrew J. Walsh
ABSTRACT We report on Australia Telescope Compact Array observations of the massive star-forming region G305.2+0.2 at 1.2 cm. We detected emission in five molecules towards G305A, confirming its hot core nature. We determined a rotational temperature of 26 K for methanol. A non-local thermodynamic equilibrium excitation calculation suggests a kinematic temperature of the order of 200 K. A time-dependent chemical model is also used to model the gas-phase chemistry of the hot core associated with G305A. A comparison with the observations suggest an age of between 2 × 104 and 1.5 × 105 yr. We also report on a feature to the south-east of G305A which may show weak Class I methanol maser emission in the line at 24.933 GHz. The more evolved source G305B does not show emission in any of the line tracers, but strong Class I methanol maser emission at 24.933 GHz is found 3 arcsec to the east. Radio continuum emission at 18.496 GHz is detected towards two H ii regions. The implications of the non-detection of radio continuum emission towards G305A and G305B are also discussed. [source]


OH megamasers, starburst and AGN activity in Markarian 231

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005
A. M. S. Richards
ABSTRACT We present Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) observations of OH maser and radio continuum emission within a few hundred pc of the core of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Markarian 231. This is the only known OH megamaser galaxy classed as a Seyfert 1. Maser emission is identified with the 1665- and 1667-MHz transitions over a velocity extent of 720 km s,1. Both lines show a similar position,velocity structure including a gradient of 1.7 km s,1 pc,1 from NW to SE along the 420-pc major axis. The (unresolved) inner few tens of pc possess a much steeper velocity gradient. The maser distribution is modelled as a torus rotating about an axis inclined at ,45° to the plane of the sky. We estimate the enclosed mass density to be 320 ± 90 M, pc,3 in a flattened distribution. This includes a central unresolved mass of ,8 × 106 M,. All the maser emission is projected against a region with a radio continuum brightness temperature ,105 K, giving a maser gain of ,2.2. The 1667:1665 MHz line ratio is close to 1.8 (the value predicted for thermal emission) consistent with radiatively pumped, unsaturated masers. This behaviour and the kinematics of the torus suggest that the size of individual masing regions is in the range 0.25,4 pc with a covering factor close to unity. There are no very bright compact masers, in contrast to galaxies such as the Seyfert 2 Markarian 273, where the masing torus is viewed nearer edge-on. The comparatively modest maser amplification seen from Markarian 231 is consistent with its classification in the unification scheme for Seyfert galaxies. Most of the radio continuum emission on 50,500 pc scales is probably of starburst origin but the compact peak is 0.4 per cent polarized by a magnetic field running north,south, similar to the jet direction on these scales. There is no close correlation between maser and continuum intensity, suggesting that much of the radio continuum must originate in the foreground and indeed the relative continuum brightness is slightly greater in the direction of the approaching jet. Comparisons with other data show that the jet changes direction close the nucleus and suggest that the sub-kpc disc hosting the masers and starburst activity is severely warped. [source]


Australia Telescope Compact Array H i observations of the NGC 6845 galaxy group

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 3 2003
Scott Gordon
ABSTRACT We present the results of Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) H i line and 20-cm radio continuum observations of the galaxy quartet NGC 6845. The H i emission extends over all four galaxies but can only be associated clearly with the two spiral galaxies, NGC 6845A and B, which show signs of strong tidal interaction. We derive a total H i mass of at least 1.8 × 1010 M,, most of which is associated with NGC 6845A, the largest galaxy of the group. We investigate the tidal interaction between NGC 6845A and B by studying the kinematics of distinct H i components and their relation to the known H ii regions. No H i emission is detected from the two lenticular galaxies, NGC 6845C and D. A previously uncatalogued dwarf galaxy, ATCA J2001,4659, was detected 4.4 arcmin NE from NGC 6845B and has an H i mass of ,5 × 108 M,. No H i bridge is visible between the group and its newly detected companion. Extended 20-cm radio continuum emission is detected in NGC 6845A and B as well as in the tidal bridge between the two galaxies. We derive star formation rates of 15,40 M, yr,1. [source]


Post-starburst galaxies and the transformation of blue into red galaxies

ASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 9-10 2009
S. De Rijcke
Abstract We present deep single-dish radio observations of a sample of nearby post-starburst galaxies (0.05 < z < 0.1). About 50% of these post-starburst galaxies are detected at 21 cm, with HI masses of ,109 M,, up to ,1010 M,. These post-starburst galaxies are as gas-rich as spiral galaxies with comparable luminosities. There appears to exist no direct correlation between the amount of H I present in a post-starburst galaxy and its star formation rate as traced by radio continuum emission. Moreover, the end of the starburst clearly does not necessarily require the complete exhaustion of the neutral gas reservoir. High-resolution radio observations of one post-starburst binary system suggest that most of the neutral gas resides outside the stellar bodies of the galaxies. Most likely, the gas was expelled by supernova and/or AGN feedback. This effectively stops star formation, even though copious amounts of diffuse neutral gas remain in the immediate vicinity. This remaining H I reservoir may eventually lead to further episodes of star formation. This may indicate that some post-starbursts are observed in the inactive phase ofthe star formation duty cycle (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]