Searching for new OH megamasers out to redshifts z>1

Kyle W. Willett

doi:10.1017/S1743921312007284

Searching for new OH megamasers out to redshifts z>1

Kyle W. Willett

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have carried out a search for 18-cm OH megamaser (OHM) emission with the Green Bank Telescope. The targeted galaxies comprise a sample of 121 ULIRGs at 0.09<z<1.5, making this is the first large, systematic search for OHMs at z>0.25. Nine new detections of OHMs are reported, all at redshifts z<0.25. For the remainder of the galaxies, observations constrain the upper limit on OH emission; this rules out OHMs of moderate brightness (LOH >103 L) for 26% of the sample, and extremely bright OHM emission (LOH >104 L) for 73% of the sample. Losses from RFI result in the OHM detection fraction being significantly lower than expected for galaxies with LIR >1012 L. The new OHM detections are used to calculate an updated OH luminosity function, with LOH -0.66; this slope is in agreement with previous results. Non-detections of OHMs in the COSMOS field constrain the predicted sky density of OHMs; the results are consistent with a galaxy merger rate evolving as (1+z)m, where 6.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Cosmic Masers - from OH to H0
Editors	Roy S. Booth, Elizabeth M. L. Humphreys, Wouter H.T. Vlemmings
Pages	345-349
Number of pages	5
Edition	S287
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921312007284
State	Published - Jul 2012

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Number	S287
Volume	8
ISSN (Print)	1743-9213
ISSN (Electronic)	1743-9221

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was part of the Ph.D. thesis of KWW at the University of Colorado, and will be submitted in early 2012 as Willett, Darling, Kent, & Braatz (2012). Observations were funded in part by student support grants from NRAO. We are indebted to the staff of the Green Bank Telescope, whose expertise and assistance made these observations possible. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Keywords

galaxies: interactions
infrared: galaxies
masers
radio lines: galaxies

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title = "Searching for new OH megamasers out to redshifts z>1",

abstract = "We have carried out a search for 18-cm OH megamaser (OHM) emission with the Green Bank Telescope. The targeted galaxies comprise a sample of 121 ULIRGs at 0.090.25. Nine new detections of OHMs are reported, all at redshifts z<0.25. For the remainder of the galaxies, observations constrain the upper limit on OH emission; this rules out OHMs of moderate brightness (LOH >103 L) for 26% of the sample, and extremely bright OHM emission (LOH >104 L) for 73% of the sample. Losses from RFI result in the OHM detection fraction being significantly lower than expected for galaxies with LIR >1012 L. The new OHM detections are used to calculate an updated OH luminosity function, with LOH -0.66; this slope is in agreement with previous results. Non-detections of OHMs in the COSMOS field constrain the predicted sky density of OHMs; the results are consistent with a galaxy merger rate evolving as (1+z)m, where 6.",

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note = "Funding Information: This work was part of the Ph.D. thesis of KWW at the University of Colorado, and will be submitted in early 2012 as Willett, Darling, Kent, & Braatz (2012). Observations were funded in part by student support grants from NRAO. We are indebted to the staff of the Green Bank Telescope, whose expertise and assistance made these observations possible. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.",

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N2 - We have carried out a search for 18-cm OH megamaser (OHM) emission with the Green Bank Telescope. The targeted galaxies comprise a sample of 121 ULIRGs at 0.090.25. Nine new detections of OHMs are reported, all at redshifts z<0.25. For the remainder of the galaxies, observations constrain the upper limit on OH emission; this rules out OHMs of moderate brightness (LOH >103 L) for 26% of the sample, and extremely bright OHM emission (LOH >104 L) for 73% of the sample. Losses from RFI result in the OHM detection fraction being significantly lower than expected for galaxies with LIR >1012 L. The new OHM detections are used to calculate an updated OH luminosity function, with LOH -0.66; this slope is in agreement with previous results. Non-detections of OHMs in the COSMOS field constrain the predicted sky density of OHMs; the results are consistent with a galaxy merger rate evolving as (1+z)m, where 6.

AB - We have carried out a search for 18-cm OH megamaser (OHM) emission with the Green Bank Telescope. The targeted galaxies comprise a sample of 121 ULIRGs at 0.090.25. Nine new detections of OHMs are reported, all at redshifts z<0.25. For the remainder of the galaxies, observations constrain the upper limit on OH emission; this rules out OHMs of moderate brightness (LOH >103 L) for 26% of the sample, and extremely bright OHM emission (LOH >104 L) for 73% of the sample. Losses from RFI result in the OHM detection fraction being significantly lower than expected for galaxies with LIR >1012 L. The new OHM detections are used to calculate an updated OH luminosity function, with LOH -0.66; this slope is in agreement with previous results. Non-detections of OHMs in the COSMOS field constrain the predicted sky density of OHMs; the results are consistent with a galaxy merger rate evolving as (1+z)m, where 6.

KW - galaxies: interactions

KW - infrared: galaxies

KW - masers

KW - radio lines: galaxies

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BT - Cosmic Masers - from OH to H0

A2 - Booth, Roy S.

A2 - Humphreys, Elizabeth M. L.

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ER -

Searching for new OH megamasers out to redshifts z>1

Abstract

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Bibliographical note

Keywords

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