Open AccessSpace–VLBI observations of the OH maser OH 34.26+0.15: low interstellar scattering
Author(s) -
Slysh V. I.,
Voronkov M. A.,
Migenes V.,
Shibata K. M.,
Umemoto T.,
Altunin V. I.,
Val'Tts I. E.,
Kanevsky B. Z.,
Popov M. V.,
Kovalenko A. V.,
Fomalont E. B.,
Poperechenko B. A.,
Gorshenkov YU. N.,
Carlson B. R.,
Dougherty S. M.,
Reynolds J. E.,
Jiang D. R.,
Smirnov A. I.,
Grachev V. G.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2001.03959.x
Subject(s) - physics , maser , very long baseline interferometry , astrophysics , angular resolution (graph drawing) , astronomy , pulsar , radio telescope , brightness , interstellar medium , scattering , angular diameter , brightness temperature , optics , stars , galaxy , mathematics , combinatorics
We report on the first space–VLBI observations of the OH 34.26+0.15 maser in two main‐line OH transitions at 1665 and 1667 MHz. The observations involved the space radio telescope on board the Japanese satellite HALCA and an array of ground radio telescopes. The map of the maser region and images of individual maser spots were produced with an angular resolution of 1 mas, which is several times higher than the angular resolution available on the ground. The maser spots were only partly resolved and a lower limit to the brightness temperature was obtained. The maser seems to be located in the direction of low interstellar scattering, an order of magnitude lower than the scattering of a nearby extragalactic source and pulsar.