arXiv subjects

A. Brunthaler

Publications and source records attributed to A. Brunthaler.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Feedback in W49A diagnosed with radio recombination lines and models

We present images of radio recombination lines (RRLs) at wavelengths around 17 cm from the star-forming region W49A to determine the kinematics of ionized gas in the THOR survey (The HI/OH/Recombination line survey of the inner Milky Way) at an angular resolution of 16.8"x13.8". The distribution of ionized gas appears to be affected by feedback processes from the star clusters in W49A. The velocity structure of the RRLs shows a complex behavior with respect to the molecular gas. We find a shell-like distribution of ionized gas as traced by RRL emission surrounding the central cluster of OB stars in W49A. We describe the evolution of the shell with the recent feedback model code WARPFIELD that includes the important physical processes and has previously been applied to the 30 Doradus region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The cloud structure and dynamics of W49A are in agreement with a feedback-driven shell that is re-collapsing. The shell may have triggered star formation in other parts of W49A. We suggest that W49A is a potential candidate for star formation regulated by feedback-driven and re-collapsing shells.

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arXiv2019

GLOSTAR -- Radio Source Catalog I: $28^{\circ}< \textit{l} < 36^{\circ}$ and $|b| < 1^{\circ}$

The GLOSTAR survey will study the star formation in the Galactic plane between $-2^{\circ}< \textit{l}< 85^{\circ}$ and $|b| < 1^{\circ}$ with unprecedented sensitivity in both, flux density ($\sim$ 40 $μJy$ beam$^{-1}$) and range of angular scales ($\sim$ 1."5 to the largest radio structures in the Galaxy). In this paper we present the first results obtained from a radio continuum map of a 16 square degree sized region of the Galactic plane centered on $\textit{l} = 32^{\circ}$ and $b = 0^{\circ}$ ($28^{\circ} < \textit{l} < 36^{\circ}$ and $|b| < 1^{\circ}$). This map has a resolution of 18" and sensitivity of $\sim$ 60-150 $μJy$ beam$^{-1}$. We present data acquired with the VLA in D-configuration. Two 1 GHz wide sub-bands were observed simultaneously and centred at 4.7 and 6.9 GHz. These data were calibrated and imaged using the $\textit{Obit}$ software package. The source extraction has been performed using the BLOBCAT software package and verified through a combination of visual inspection and cross-matching with other radio and mid-infrared surveys. The final catalog consists of 1575 discrete radio sources and 27 large scale structures (including W43 and W44). By cross-matching with other catalogs and calculating the spectral indices ($S(ν) \propto ν^α$), we have classified 231 continuum sources as HII regions, 37 as ionization fronts, and 46 as planetary nebulae. The longitude and latitude distribution and negative spectral indices are all consistent with the vast majority of the unclassified sources being extragalactic background sources. We present a catalog of 1575 radio continuum sources and discuss their physical properties, emission nature and relation with previously reported. These first GLOSTAR results have increased the number of reliable HII regions in this part of the Galaxy by a factor of four.

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arXiv2019

Accretion disk versus jet orientation in H$_{2}$O megamaser galaxies

An essential part of the paradigm describing active galactic nuclei is the alignment between the radio jet and the associated rotation axis of the sub-pc sized accretion disks. Because of the small linear and angular scales involved, this alignment has not yet been checked in a sufficient number of Low Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei (LLAGNs). The project intends to examine the validity of this paradigm by measuring the radio continuum on the same physical scale as the accretion disks, to investigate any possible connection between these disks and the radio continuum. We observed a sample of 18 LLAGNs in the 4.8 GHz (6 cm) radio continuum using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) with 3.3 to 6.5 milliarcseconds resolution. The sources were selected to show both an edge-on accretion disk revealed by 22 GHz H$_{2}$O megamaser emission and signatures of a radio jet. Furthermore, the sources were previously detected in 33GHz radio continuum observations made with the Very Large Array. Five out of 18 galaxies observed were detected at 8 sigma or higher levels (Mrk0001, Mrk1210, Mrk1419, NGC2273 and UGC3193). While all these sources are known to have maser disks, four of these five sources exhibit a maser disk with known orientation. For all four sources, the radio continuum is misaligned relative to the rotation axis of the maser disk, but with a 99.1% confidence level, the orientations are not random and are confined to a cone within 32 degree of the maser disk's normal. Among the four sources the misalignment of the radio continuum with respect to the normal vector to the maser disk is smaller when the inner radius of the maser disk is larger. Furthermore, a correlation is observed between the 5 GHz VLBA radio continuum and the [OIII] luminosity and also with the H$_{2}$O maser disk's inner radius.

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arXiv2019

Trigonometric Parallaxes of Star Forming Regions Beyond the Tangent Point of the Sagittarius Spiral Arm

As part of the BeSSeL Survey, we report trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of molecular maser sources associated with 13 distant high mass star forming regions in the Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way. In particular, we obtain improved parallax distance estimates for three well studied regions: 1.9 +0.1/-0.1 kpc for M17, 5.3 +1.3/-0.9 kpc for W51, and 7.9 +0.9/-0.7 kpc for GAL 045.5+00.0. Peculiar motions for all but one source are less than 20 km/s. We fit a log-periodic spiral to the locations and estimate an average pitch angle of 7.2+-1.9 deg. We find that the section of the arm beyond the tangent point in the first quadrant of the Milky Way appears 15 pc below the IAU-defined Galactic plane.

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arXiv2018

OH absorption in the first quadrant of the Milky Way as seen by THOR

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is present in the diffuse molecular and partially atomic phases of the interstellar medium (ISM), but its abundance relative to hydrogen is not clear. We aim to evaluate the abundance of OH with respect to molecular hydrogen using OH absorption against cm-continuum sources over the first Galactic quadrant. This OH study is part of the HI/OH/Recombination line survey (THOR). THOR is a Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array large program of atomic, molecular and ionized gas in the range 15°$\leq$l$\leq$67° and |b|$\leq$1°. It is the highest-resolution unbiased OH absorption survey to date towards this region. We combine the derived optical depths with literature 13CO(1-0) and HI observations to determine the OH abundance. We detect absorption in the 1665 and 1667 MHz transitions for continuum sources stronger than $F_{\rm cont}\geq$0.1 Jy/beam. OH absorption is found against $\sim$15% of these continuum sources with increasing fractions for stronger sources. Most of the absorption is associated with Galactic HII regions. We find OH and 13CO gas to have similar kinematic properties. The OH abundance decreases with increasing hydrogen column density. The OH abundance with respect to the total hydrogen nuclei column density (atomic and molecular phase) is in agreement with a constant abundance for $A_V$ < 10-20. Towards the lowest column densities, we find sources that exhibit OH absorption but no 13CO emission, indicating that OH is a well suited tracer of the low column density molecular gas. We present spatially resolved OH absorption towards W43. The unbiased nature of the THOR survey opens a new window onto the gas properties of the ISM. The characterization of the OH abundance over a large range of hydrogen gas column densities contributes to the understanding of OH as a molecular gas tracer and provides a starting point for future investigations.

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arXiv2018

Radio continuum emission in the northern Galactic plane: Sources and spectral indices from the THOR survey

Radio continuum surveys of the Galactic plane can find and characterize HII regions, supernova remnants (SNRs), planetary nebulae (PNe), and extragalactic sources. A number of surveys at high angular resolution (<25") at different wavelengths exist to study the interstellar medium (ISM), but no comparable high-resolution and high-sensitivity survey exists at long radio wavelengths around 21cm. We observed a large fraction of the Galactic plane in the first quadrant of the Milky Way (l=14.0-67.4deg and |b| < 1.25deg) with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the C-configuration covering six continuum spectral windows. These data provide a detailed view on the compact as well as extended radio emission of our Galaxy and thousands of extragalactic background sources. We used the BLOBCAT software and extracted 10916 sources. After removing spurious source detections caused by the sidelobes of the synthesised beam, we classified 10387 sources as reliable detections. We smoothed the images to a common resolution of 25" and extracted the peak flux density of each source in each spectral window (SPW) to determine the spectral indices $α$ (assuming $I(ν)\proptoν^α$). By cross-matching with catalogs of HII regions, SNRs, PNe, and pulsars, we found radio counterparts for 840 HII regions, 52 SNRs, 164 PNe, and 38 pulsars. We found 79 continuum sources that are associated with X-ray sources. We identified 699 ultra-steep spectral sources ($α< -1.3$) that could be high-redshift galaxies. Around 9000 of the sources we extracted are not classified specifically, but based on their spatial and spectral distribution, a large fraction of them is likely to be extragalactic background sources. More than 7750 sources do not have counterparts in the SIMBAD database, and more than 3760 sources do not have counterparts in the NED database.

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arXiv2017

Techniques for Accurate Parallax Measurements for 6.7-GHz Methanol Masers

The BeSSeL Survey is mapping the spiral structure of the Milky Way by measuring trigonometric parallaxes of hundreds of maser sources associated with high-mass star formation. While parallax techniques for water masers at high frequency (22 GHz) have been well documented, recent observations of methanol masers at lower frequency (6.7 GHz) have revealed astrometric issues associated with signal propagation through the ionosphere that could significantly limit parallax accuracy. These problems displayed as a "parallax gradient" on the sky when measured against different background quasars. We present an analysis method in which we generate position data relative to an "artificial quasar" at the target maser position at each epoch. Fitting parallax to these data can significantly mitigate the problems and improve parallax accuracy.

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arXiv2017

Radio continuum of galaxies with H$_{2}$O megamaser disks: 33 GHz VLA data

We investigate the nuclear environment of galaxies with observed 22 GHz water megamaser in their subparsec edge-on accretion disks, using 33 GHz (9mm) radio continuum data from VLA, with a resolution of ~ 0.2-0.5 arcsecs, and relate the maser and host galaxy properties to those of its radio continuum emission. Eighty-seven percent (21 out of 24) galaxies in our sample show 33 GHz radio continuum emission at levels of 4.5-240 $σ$. Five sources show extended emission, including one source with two main components and one with three main components. The remaining detected 16 sources exhibit compact cores within the sensitivity limits. Little evidence is found for extended jets (>300 pc) in most sources. Either they do not exist, or our chosen frequency of 33 GHz is too high for a detection of these supposedly steep spectrum features. In only one source among those with known maser disk orientation, NGC4388, we found an extended jet-like feature that appears to be oriented perpendicular to the water megamaser disk. Smaller 100-300 pc sized jets might also be present, as is suggested by the beam-deconvolved morphology of our sources. Whenever possible, central positions with accuracies of 20-280 mas are provided. A correlation analysis shows that the 33 GHz luminosity weakly correlates with the infrared luminosity. The 33 GHz luminosity is anticorrelated with the circular velocity of the galaxy. The black hole masses show stronger correlations with water maser luminosity than with 1.4 GHz, 33 GHz, or hard X-ray luminosities. Furthermore, the inner radii of the disks show stronger correlations with 1.4 GHz, 33 GHz, and hard X-ray luminosities than their outer radii, suggesting that the outer radii may be affected by disk warping, star formation, or peculiar density distributions.

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arXiv2017

Hydrogen in diffuse molecular clouds in the Milky Way: Atomic column densities and molecular fraction along prominent lines of sight

Recent submillimeter and far-infrared wavelength observations of absorption in the rotational ground-state lines of various simple molecules against distant Galactic continuum sources have opened the possibility of studying the chemistry of diffuse molecular clouds throughout the Milky Way. In order to calculate abundances, the column densities of molecular and atomic hydrogen, HI, must be known. We aim at determining the atomic hydrogen column densities for diffuse clouds located on the sight lines toward a sample of prominent high-mass star-forming regions that were intensely studied with the HIFI instrument onboard Herschel. Based on Jansky Very Large Array data, we employ the 21 cm HI absorption-line technique to construct profiles of the HI opacity versus radial velocity toward our target sources. These profiles are combined with lower resolution archival data of extended HI emission to calculate the HI column densities of the individual clouds along the sight lines. We employ Bayesian inference to estimate the uncertainties of the derived quantities. Our study delivers reliable estimates of the atomic hydrogen column density for a large number of diffuse molecular clouds at various Galactocentric distances. Together with column densities of molecular hydrogen derived from its surrogates observed with HIFI, the measurements can be used to characterize the clouds and investigate the dependence of their chemistry on the molecular fraction, for example.

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arXiv2016

The HI/OH/Recombination line survey of the inner Milky Way (THOR)

Context: The past decade has witnessed a large number of Galactic plane surveys at angular resolutions below 20". However, no comparable high-resolution survey exists at long radio wavelengths around 21cm in line and continuum emission. Methods: Employing the Very Large Array (VLA) in the C-array configuration and a large program, we observe the HI 21cm line, four OH lines, nineteen Halpha radio recombination lines as well as the continuum emission from 1 to 2GHz in full polarization over a large part of the first Galactic quadrant. Results: Covering Galactic longitudes from 14.5 to 67.4deg and latitudes between +-1.25deg, we image all of these lines and the continuum at ~20" resolution. These data allow us to study the various components of the interstellar medium (ISM): from the atomic phase, traced by the HI line, to the molecular phase, observed by the OH transitions, to the ionized medium, revealed by the cm continuum and the Halpha radio recombination lines. Furthermore, the polarized continuum emission enables magnetic field studies. In this overview paper, we discuss the survey outline and present the first data release as well as early results from the different datasets. We now release the first half of the survey; the second half will follow later after the ongoing data processing has been completed. The data in fits format (continuum images and line data cubes) can be accessed through the project web-page http://www.mpia.de/thor. Conclusions: The HI/OH/Recombination line survey of the Milky Way (THOR) opens a new window to the different parts of the ISM. It enables detailed studies of molecular cloud formation, conversion of atomic to molecular gas, and feedback from HII regions as well as the magnetic field in the Milky Way. It is highly complementary to other surveys of our Galaxy, and comparing different datasets allows us to address many open questions.

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arXiv2016

The radio evolution of supernova SN$\,$2008iz in M$\,$82

We report on multi-frequency Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio observations for a monitoring campaign of supernova SN$\,$2008iz in the nearby irregular galaxy M$\,$82. We fit two models to the data, a simple time power-law, S$\propto$ t$^β$, and a simplified Weiler model, yielding decline indices, $β$ of -1.22$\pm$0.07 (days 100-1500) and -1.41$\pm$0.02 (days 76-2167), respectively. The late-time radio light curve evolution shows flux-density flares at $\sim\,$970 and $\sim\,$1400 days which are a factor of $\sim\,$2 and $\sim\,$4 higher than the expected flux, respectively. The later flare, besides being brighter, does not show signs of decline at least from results examined so far (2014 January 23, day 2167). We derive the spectral index, $α$, S$\propto$ $ν^α$ for frequencies 1.4 to 43$\,$GHz for SN$\,$2008iz during the period from $\sim\,$430 to 2167 days after the supernova explosion. The value of $α$ shows no signs of evolution and remains steep $\approx$$-$1 throughout the period, unlike that of SN$\,$1993J which started flattening at $\sim\,$day 970. From the 4.8 and 8.4$\,$GHz VLBI images, the supernova expansion is seen to start with shell like structure that gets more and more asymmetric, then breaks up in the later epochs with bright structures dominating the southern part of the ring. This structural evolution differs significantly from SN$\,$1993J, which remains circularly symmetric over 4000 days after the explosion. The VLBI 4.8 and 8.4$\,$GHz images are used to derive a deceleration index, $m$, for SN$\,$2008iz, of 0.86$\,\pm\,$0.02, and the average expansion velocity between days 73 and 1400 as (12.1$\pm$0.2)$\times$10$^{3}\,$km$\,$s$^{-1}$.

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arXiv2016

A Parallax-based Distance Estimator for Spiral Arm Sources

The spiral arms of the Milky Way are being accurately located for the first time via trigonometric parallaxes of massive star forming regions with the BeSSeL Survey, using the Very Long Baseline Array and the European VLBI Network, and with the Japanese VERA project. Here we describe a computer program that leverages these results to significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of distance estimates to other sources that are known to follow spiral structure. Using a Bayesian approach, sources are assigned to arms based on their (l,b,v) coordinates with respect to arm signatures seen in CO and HI surveys. A source's kinematic distance, displacement from the plane, and proximity to individual parallax sources are also considered in generating a full distance probability density function. Using this program to estimate distances to large numbers of star forming regions, we generate a realistic visualization of the Milky Way's spiral structure as seen from the northern hemisphere.

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arXiv2016

Continuum sources from the THOR survey between 1 and 2 GHz

We carried out a large program with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA): "THOR: The HI, OH, Recombination line survey of the Milky Way". We observed a significant portion of the Galactic plane in the first quadrant of the Milky Way in the 21cm HI line, 4 OH transitions, 19 radio recombination lines, and continuum from 1 to 2 GHz. In this paper we present a catalog of the continuum sources in the first half of the survey (l=14.0-37.9deg and l=47.1-51.2deg, |b|<1.1deg) at a spatial resolution of 10-25", with a spatially varying noise level of ~0.3-1 mJy/beam. The catalog contains ~4400 sources. Around 1200 of these are spatially resolved, and ~1000 are possible artifacts, given their low signal-to-noise ratios. Since the spatial distribution of the unresolved objects is evenly distributed and not confined to the Galactic plane, most of them are extragalactic. Thanks to the broad bandwidth of the observations from 1 to 2 GHz, we are able to determine a reliable spectral index for ~1800 sources. The spectral index distribution reveals a double-peaked profile with maxima at spectral indices of alpha = -1 and alpha = 0 , corresponding to steep declining and flat spectra, respectively. This allows us to distinguish between thermal and non-thermal emission, which can be used to determine the nature of each source. We examine the spectral index of ~300 known HII regions, for which we find thermal emission with spectral indices around alpha = 0. In contrast, supernova remnants (SNR) show non-thermal emission with alpha = -0.5 and extragalactic objects generally have a steeper spectral index of alpha = -1. Using the spectral index information of the THOR survey, we investigate potential SNR candidates. We classify the radiation of four SNR candidates as non-thermal, and for the first time, we provide strong evidence for the SNR origin of these candidates.

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arXiv2015

Imaging the Expanding Shell of SN 2011dh

We report on third epoch VLBI observations of the radio-bright supernova SN 2011dh located in the nearby (7.8 Mpc) galaxy M51. The observations took place at $t=453$ d after the explosion and at a frequency of 8.4 GHz. We obtained a fairly well resolved image of the shell of SN 2011dh, making it one of only six recent supernovae for which resolved images of the ejecta are available. SN 2011dh has a relatively clear shell morphology, being almost circular in outline, although there may be some asymmetry in brightness around the ridge. By fitting a spherical shell model directly to the visibility measurements we determine the angular radius of SN 2011dh's radio emission to be $636 \pm 29$ $μ$as. At a distance of 7.8 Mpc, this angular radius corresponds to a linear radius of $(7.4 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{16}$ cm and an average expansion velocity since the explosion of $19000^{+2800}_{-2400}$ kms$^{-1}$. We combine our VLBI measurements of SN 2011dh's radius with values determined from the radio spectral energy distribution under the assumption of a synchrotron-self-absorbed spectrum, and find all the radii are consistent with a power-law evolution, with $R \sim t^{0.97\pm0.01}$, implying almost free expansion over the period $t=4$ d to 453 d.

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arXiv2015

THOR - The HI, OH, Recombination Line Survey of the Milky Way - The pilot study: HI observations of the giant molecular cloud W43

To study the atomic, molecular and ionized emission of Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), we have initiated a Large Program with the VLA: 'THOR - The HI, OH, Recombination Line survey of the Milky Way'. We map the 21cm HI line, 4 OH lines, 19 H_alpha recombination lines and the continuum from 1 to 2 GHz of a significant fraction of the Milky Way (l=15-67deg, |b|<1deg) at ~20" resolution. In this paper, we focus on the HI emission from the W43 star-formation complex. Classically, the HI 21cm line is treated as optically thin with column densities calculated under this assumption. This might give reasonable results for regions of low-mass star-formation, however, it is not sufficient to describe GMCs. We analyzed strong continuum sources to measure the optical depth, and thus correct the HI 21cm emission for optical depth effects and weak diffuse continuum emission. Hence, we are able to measure the HI mass of W43 more accurately and our analysis reveals a lower limit of M=6.6x10^6 M_sun, which is a factor of 2.4 larger than the mass estimated with the assumption of optically thin emission. The HI column densities are as high as N(HI)~150 M_sun/pc^2 ~ 1.9x10^22 cm^-2, which is an order of magnitude higher than for low mass star formation regions. This result challenges theoretical models that predict a threshold for the HI column density of ~10 M_sun/pc^2, at which the formation of molecular hydrogen should set in. By assuming an elliptical layered structure for W43, we estimate the particle density profiles. While at the cloud edge atomic and molecular hydrogen are well mixed, the center of the cloud is strongly dominated by molecular hydrogen. We do not identify a sharp transition between hydrogen in atomic and molecular form. Our results are an important characterization of the atomic to molecular hydrogen transition in an extreme environment and challenges current theoretical models.

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arXiv2015

The environment of the strongest galactic methanol maser

The high-mass star-forming site G009.62+00.20E hosts the 6.7 GHz methanol maser source with the greatest flux density in the Galaxy which has been flaring periodically over the last ten years. We performed high-resolution astrometric measurements of the CH3OH, H2O, and OH maser emission and 7 mm continuum in the region. The radio continuum emission was resolved in two sources separated by 1300 AU. The CH3OH maser cloudlets are distributed along two north-south ridges of emission to the east and west of the strongest radio continuum component. This component likely pinpoints a massive young stellar object which heats up its dusty envelope, providing a constant IR pumping for the Class II CH3OH maser transitions. We suggest that the periodic maser activity may be accounted for by an independent, pulsating, IR radiation field provided by a bloated protostar in the vicinity of the brightest masers. We also report about the discovery of an elliptical distribution of CH3OH maser emission in the region of periodic variability.

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arXiv2015

First Parallax Measurements Towards a 6.7 GHz Methanol Maser with the Australian Long Baseline Array - Distance to G339.884-1.259

We have conducted the first parallax and proper motion measurements of 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission using the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA). The parallax of G339.884$-$1.259 measured from five epochs of observations is 0.48$\pm $0.08 mas, corresponding to a distance of $2.1^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$ kpc, placing it in the Scutum spiral arm. This is consistent (within the combined uncertainty) with the kinematic distance estimate for this source at 2.5$\pm $0.5 kpc using the latest Solar and Galactic rotation parameters. We find from the Lyman continuum photon flux that the embedded core of the young star is of spectral type B1, demonstrating that luminous 6.7 GHz methanol masers can be associated with high-mass stars towards the lower end of the mass range.

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arXiv2014

Parallaxes of Star Forming Regions in the Outer Spiral Arm of the Milky Way

We report parallaxes and proper motions of three water maser sources in high-mass star-forming regions in the Outer Spiral Arm of the Milky Way. The observations were conducted with the Very Long Baseline Array as part of Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy Survey and double the number of such measurements in the literature. The Outer Arm has a pitch angle of 14.9 +/- 2.7 deg and a Galactocentric distance of 14.1 +/- 0.6 kpc toward the Galactic anticenter. The average motion of these sources toward the Galactic center is 10.7 +/- 2.1 km/s and we see no sign of a significant fall in the rotation curve out to 15 kpc from the Galactic center. The three-dimensional locations of these star-forming regions are consistent with a Galactic warp of several hundred parsecs from the plane.

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