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Series

1994

Water Masers

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physics

A Protostellar Jet Model For The Water Masers In W49n, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Moshe Elitzur, James M. Stone, Arieh Königl Jun 1994

A Protostellar Jet Model For The Water Masers In W49n, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, Moshe Elitzur, James M. Stone, Arieh Königl

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Observations by Gwinn, Moran, & Reid of the proper motions of water masers in W49N show that they have elongated distribution expanding from a common center. Features with high space velocity only occur far from the center, while low-velocity features occur at all distances. We propose that these observations can be interpreted in terms of a shell of shocked molecular gas that is driven by the expanding cocoon of a high-velocity protostellar jet. We present three-dimensional numerical simulations in support of this interpretation and argue that this source provides a unique oppurtunity for a detailed study of jet-driven cocoons.


On The Theory Of Astronomical Masers In Three Dimensions, Moshe Elitzur Feb 1994

On The Theory Of Astronomical Masers In Three Dimensions, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

In the standard theory of three-dimensional astronomical masers, the radiation field is described as if the source were comprised of a collection of linear masers. To leading order, the standard theory is shown to provide the correct description of three-dimensional masers and its results remain intact, but only within a frequency core whose half-width is χsΔνD, where ΔνD is the Doppler width and χs is a dimensionless parameter. For any given geometry, χs is ~1θsat, where θsat is the beaming angle of a maser with that geometry that has …