Archived
This content is available here strictly for research, reference, and/or recordkeeping and as such it may not be fully accessible. If you work or study at University of Kentucky and would like to request an accessible version, please use the SensusAccess Document Converter.
Abstract
Recent observations show that the OH 1720 MHz maser is a powerful probe of the shocked region where a supernova remnant strikes a molecular cloud. We perform a thorough study of the pumping of this maser and find tight constraints on the physical conditions needed for its production. The presence of the maser implies moderate temperatures (50-125 K) and densities (~105 cm-3) and OH column densities of order 1016 cm-2. We show that these conditions can exist only if the shocks are of C-type. J-shocks fail by such a wide margin that the presence of this maser could become the most powerful indicator of C-shocks. These conditions also mean that the 1720 MHz maser will be inherently weak compared with the other ground-state OH masers. All the model predictions are in good agreement with the observations.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-20-1999
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/306667
Repository Citation
Lockett, Phil; Gauthier, Eric; and Elitzur, Moshe, "OH 1720 Megahertz Masers in Supernova Remnants: C-Shock Indicators" (1999). Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications. 219.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/physastron_facpub/219
Notes/Citation Information
Published in The Astrophysical Journal, v. 511, no. 1, p. 235-241.
© 1999. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
The copyright holder has granted permission for posting the article here.