Date:
Thu, 25/10/201212:30-13:15
Title: Extragalactic Water Masers and their Host Active Galactic Nuclei
Abstract: Water maser emission at 22 GHz provides a unique resolvable tracer of warm, dense molecular gas in the inner parsec of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These maser systems have been used to probe a broad array of the properties of the hosts, including the mass of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH), the structure of the accretion disk, nuclear outflows, and the geometric distance to the host galaxy. Unfortunately, extragalactic nuclear maser emission is extremely rare and is found only in a few percent of AGNs, making their discovery an arduous task. Recent studies have found that maser emission is correlated with SMBH mass and activity, allowing both a better understanding of the physical link between masers and their hosts and a way to improve detection efficiency. This talk will discuss how water masers can shed light on their AGN environments and vice versa.
Abstract: Water maser emission at 22 GHz provides a unique resolvable tracer of warm, dense molecular gas in the inner parsec of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These maser systems have been used to probe a broad array of the properties of the hosts, including the mass of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH), the structure of the accretion disk, nuclear outflows, and the geometric distance to the host galaxy. Unfortunately, extragalactic nuclear maser emission is extremely rare and is found only in a few percent of AGNs, making their discovery an arduous task. Recent studies have found that maser emission is correlated with SMBH mass and activity, allowing both a better understanding of the physical link between masers and their hosts and a way to improve detection efficiency. This talk will discuss how water masers can shed light on their AGN environments and vice versa.