Issue |
A&A
Volume 407, Number 2, August IV 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L33 - L36 | |
Section | Letters | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20031062 | |
Published online | 17 November 2003 |
Letter to the Editor
Discovery of a luminous water megamaser in the FR II radiogalaxy 3C 403
1
Istituto di Radioastronomia, CNR, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
2
Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Loc. Poggio dei Pini, Strada 54, 09012 Capoterra (CA), Italy
3
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
4
Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Corresponding author: A. Tarchi, a.tarchi@ira.cnr.it
Received:
26
May
2003
Accepted:
3
July
2003
We report the first detection of a water megamaser in a radio-loud galaxy, 3C 403. This object has been observed as part of a small sample of FR IIs with evidence of nuclear obscuration. The isotropic luminosity of the maser is ~1200 . With a recessional velocity of cz ~ 17 680 km s-1 it is the most distant H2O maser so far reported. The line arises from the densest interstellar gas component ever observed in a radio-loud galaxy. Two spectral features are observed, likely bracketing the systemic velocity of the galaxy. These may either arise from the tangentially seen parts of a nuclear accretion disk or from dense warm gas interacting with the radio jets.
Key words: galaxies: individual: 3C 403 / galaxies: active / galaxies: ISM / masers / radio lines: ISM / radio lines: galaxies
© ESO, 2003
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.