A statistical analysis of the environments of extragalactic water masers

POSTER

Abstract

Water megamasers provide crucial tools for accurate determinations of masses of black holes lurking in galaxy centers, and of extragalactic distances without the need for indirect cosmological assumptions. Current searches have detected masers in only 3 -- 4{\%} of the galaxies surveyed and require refinement of their survey criteria. Motivated by current models linking galaxy environment and black hole accretion and the possibility that maser activity correlates with black hole accretion, we undertook a study of the properties of the small-scale environments of galaxies hosting masers. Using samples of maser detections and non-detections provided by the Megamaser Cosmology Project together with SDSS DR7 photometric and spectroscopic observations we performed a comparative analysis of near-neighbor statistics that include distances to first and third neighbors, neighbor counts and color distributions for both flux and absolute magnitude limited volumes. We present results that provide potential constraints for maser surveys, which may increase their detection rate.

Authors

  • Thomas Redpath

    James Madison University

  • Rahul Kulkarni

    Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Jefferson Lab, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, MS 58, Suite 17, Newport News, VA 23606, VirginiaTech, Department of Physics, University of South Alabama, New York University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Georgia College, North Georgia College \& State Univ., North Carolina Central University, TUNL, James Madison University, Physics Department, Hollins University; JQI, University of Aarhus, University of Tennessee, UNC at Asheville, The College of New Jersey, CERN, Florida Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Department of Physics, Florida State University, JINR, Vanderbilt, Tsinghua University, LBNL, Vanderbilt and LBNL, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University, Tsinghua University, Vanderbilt University, LBNL, NBPHS, Vanderbilt University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy - James Madison University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Chemistry, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Physics, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, US, Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics, GIST, Republic of Korea, Department of Physics, Virginia Tech

  • Rahul Kulkarni

    Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Jefferson Lab, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, MS 58, Suite 17, Newport News, VA 23606, VirginiaTech, Department of Physics, University of South Alabama, New York University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Georgia College, North Georgia College \& State Univ., North Carolina Central University, TUNL, James Madison University, Physics Department, Hollins University; JQI, University of Aarhus, University of Tennessee, UNC at Asheville, The College of New Jersey, CERN, Florida Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Department of Physics, Florida State University, JINR, Vanderbilt, Tsinghua University, LBNL, Vanderbilt and LBNL, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University, Tsinghua University, Vanderbilt University, LBNL, NBPHS, Vanderbilt University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy - James Madison University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Chemistry, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Physics, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, US, Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics, GIST, Republic of Korea, Department of Physics, Virginia Tech

  • Rahul Kulkarni

    Materials and Structures Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Jefferson Lab, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, MS 58, Suite 17, Newport News, VA 23606, VirginiaTech, Department of Physics, University of South Alabama, New York University, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Georgia College, North Georgia College \& State Univ., North Carolina Central University, TUNL, James Madison University, Physics Department, Hollins University; JQI, University of Aarhus, University of Tennessee, UNC at Asheville, The College of New Jersey, CERN, Florida Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Department of Physics, Florida State University, JINR, Vanderbilt, Tsinghua University, LBNL, Vanderbilt and LBNL, Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University, Tsinghua University, Vanderbilt University, LBNL, NBPHS, Vanderbilt University, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy - James Madison University, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Chemistry, U. of South Alabama Dept. of Physics, Ohio State University, Wright State University, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, US, Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics, GIST, Republic of Korea, Department of Physics, Virginia Tech