A gravitationally lensed water maser in the early Universe
DOI: 10.1038/nature07544 (http) or 10.1038/nature07544 (doi)
ADS bibcode 2008Natur.456..927I
arXiv:0901.1132
Violette Impellizzeri [1], John McKean [1], Paola Castangia [1,2], Alan Roy [1], Christian Henkel [1], Andreas Brunthaler [1], Olaf Wucknitz [3]
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Loc. Poggio dei Pini, Strada 54, 09012 Capoterra, Italy
- Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53131 Bonn, Germany
Abstract
Water masers are found in dense molecular clouds closely associated with
supermassive black holes at the centres of active galaxies. On the basis of
the understanding of the local water-maser luminosity function, it was
expected that masers at intermediate and high redshifts would be extremely
rare. However, galaxies at redshifts z > 2 might be quite different from those
found locally, not least because of more frequent mergers and interaction
events. Here we use gravitational lensing to search for masers at higher
redshifts than would otherwise be possible, and find a water maser at redshift
2.64 in the dust- and gas-rich, gravitationally lensed type-1 quasar MG
J0414+0534. The isotropic luminosity is 10,000 Lsun,
which is twice that of the most powerful local water maser and half that of
the most distant maser previously known. Using the locally determined
luminosity function, the probability of finding a maser this luminous
associated with any single active galaxy is 10-6. The fact that we
see such a maser in the first galaxy we observe must mean that the volume
densities and luminosities of masers are higher at redshift 2.64.
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Nature 456 (2008) 927 (link to online journal)
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): 10.1038/nature07544 (http) or 10.1038/nature07544 (doi)
ADS bibcode 2008Natur.456..927I (link to ADS entry)
arXiv:0901.1132 (link to e-print archive)
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9 pages, two figures. astro-ph version.
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