Astrophysical Masers

In this volume the complete area of research in astrophysical lasers has been covered for the first time presenting the newest insights. It will be a book of reference for many years to come. It addresses doctoral students and researchers in astronomy and astrophysics.

Inhalt
The early years of research on astronomical masers.- On the theory of naural masers.- Line profiles in masers: Velocity relaxation.- OH maser polarization.- Coherence and incoherence in astronomical masers.- A model for polarized OH masers.- Submillimeter water masers.- Linear and circular polarization for masers with weak zeeman splittings.- Radiative transfer in three dimensional masers.- A special database for gas-phase compounds studied by microwave spectroscopy and radio astronomy.- Classification and statistical properties of H2O masers.- Observations of new submillimeter maser lines of water and methanol.- The CRL 34-m radio telescope at Kashima A new strong tool in maser research and the first results of a 22 GHz H2O maser survey.- Molecular megamasers after ten years.- VLBI observations of the water vapor megamaser in IC10.- Extragalactic H2O masers.- H2O megamaser variability.- Interstellar masers: Then and now.- Some interesting OH/H2O masers.- High resolution centimeter radio continuum and ammonia maser observations of the W51 region of star formation.- Masers in star-forming regions associated with cold, bright IRAS sources.- CH in translucent molecular clouds.- Ammonia masers in the interstellar medium.- OH masers in star-forming regions: Interpretation of observations.- Excited OH 4.7 GHz masers associated with IRAS far-infrared sources.- The magnetic field of the Milky Way: OH maser Zeeman results.- OH masers and bipolar molecular outflows associated with massive star formation.- H2O maser survey of IRAS sources at high galactic latitude.- Water masers associated with compact molecular clouds and ultracompact Hii regions: The extended sample.- Molecular outflows and H2O masers: What type of connection?.- A shock origin for interstellar H2Omasers.- Water maser emission toward ultracompact HII regions.- Interacting H2O masers in star-forming regions.- Origin of water masers in W49N.- VLBI observations of the H2O supermaser outburst in the orion nebula.- The Zeeman effect or linear birefringence? VLA polarimetric spectral line observations of H2O masers.- The Arcetri methanol VLBI receiver.- A study of methanol masers at 36 and 44 GHz and 48 GHz thermal emission around them.- Methanol masers in the southern Galaxy.- Interstellar methanol masers.- Synthesis images of 6.7-GHz methanol masers.- Production of 12.2 GHz CH3OH masers Preliminary results of an excitation study.- Interferometric observations of 95 GHz methanol masers.- On the classification and list of transitions of methanol masers.- Physical and evolutionary status of G1.60.025 giant molecular cloud as revealed by 4?1-3OE methanol weak maser.- The proper motions of the H2O masers near W3(OH).- Kinematic studies of ultracompact HII region/molecular cloud interfaces.- Space VLBI and the masers.- Preliminary results from a study of the proper motion of water vapor masers in cepheus A.- High- and low-velocity maser features.- Proper motions of OH masers in W75N.- Proper motion studies of H2O masers.- Interstellar scattering of maser radiation.- A VLBI survey of interstellar broadening of galactic OH masers.- Angular wander measurements of maser clusters.- The polarized water maser source in orion.- Variations of optical and water maser emission from long period variables.- An H2O flare in W49N.- Time-variable OH emission from S269.- Variations in polarization of IRAS 19566+3423 at the 1612 MHZ OH line from 1987 to 1992.- Theory of fluctuations in unsaturated masers.- Long-term observations of outbursts and variability of the W49N watermasers.- Water maser and optical variability for V778 CYG and EU and 19871991.- Search for rapid variations in OH and H2O masers.- Water maser bursts in W49M (198992).- Radiative instabilities in astrophysical masers.- A monitoring program of interstellar OH and H2O masers.- Water maser monitoring of IRAS 16293-2422.- Recent studies of circumstellar masers.- Observations of maser RRLs from the star MWC 349A.- The color mimics of OH / IR stars.- The masers of GY Aql.- OH/IR stars and the Galactic Centre distance.- OH maser emission from F- and G-type supergiant stars.- OH masers in the circumstellar shell of the GIa supergiant AFGL 2343.- Circumstellar OH masers.- Pumping of main line masers in type I Miras.- Unusual OH radio emission in Mira (o CET).- VLBI spectral line polarization observations of the OH masers in the supergiant IRC+10420.- To mase or not to mase? Polarimetry of OH/IR stars.- Evidence for competitive gain in OH transitions observed in circumstellar shells.- Distance measurements of OH-IR sources.- Further evidence for the photoproduction mechanism of the OH maser formation.- Monte Carlo models of 1612 MHz OH masers in circumstellar shells.- Properties of OH/IR stars in the galactic centre.- The excitation of vibrationally excited H2O masers.- The 22 GHz water maser of RX Bootis.- The water maser properties of the arecibo sample of OH/IR stars.- The evolution of water maser spectra in M type stars.- Circumstellar water masers.- Recent wort: On SiO masers at the Centro Astronómico de Yebes.- SiO masers in VY CMa : Detection of maser emission in the v=4 state.- Recent VLBI observations of SiO masers.- 86 GHz survey of IRAS point sources: 156 SiO, v=1, J=2?1 maser sources.- Modeling SiO maser emission from late-type stars.- The results of knife(Japanese MM-VLBI) on SiO masers.- SiO maser emission and the intrinsic properties of MIRA variables.- Molecular catastrophes and circumstellar SiO masers.- Natural lasers and masers in the solar system.- The OH radio emission of comet Levy 1990 XX.- Astrophysical masers from a historical perspective.