The following document lists the file abstract/CHENKEL_PROP_2.abs
from catalogue VI/111.
A plain copy of the file
(without headers/trailers) may be downloaded.
OH megamasers with isotropic luminosities of up to 10^4 Lo are observed along the lines-of-sight toward the central regions of ultraluminous IRAS galaxies. These most luminous masers known to exist in the universe may be related to the molecular tori which are believed to surround active galactic nuclei. We intend to complement existing cm-wave data by observing the rotational OH tansitions toward selected `gigamasers', `megamasers', `kilomasers', and 18 cm OH absorbers. These observations will allow to investigate the OH megamaser phenomenon from an entirely new perspective. Whether we observe OH absorption or emission will greatly influence our knowledge on the ISM in distant ultraluminous starburst galaxies. A comparison of relative abundances can tell us in how far the typical line-of-sight differs from those amplifying the 18 cm nuclear continuum emission and will allow to correlate the commonly used OH classification with its infrared excitation properties.