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(Abridged) Polarized emission from masers is an excellent tool to study magnetic fields in maser sources. The linear polarization of most masers is understood as an interplay of maser saturation and anisotropic pumping. However, for the latter mechanism, no quantitative modeling has been presented yet. We present a comprehensive model of maser polarization, including quantitative modeling of both anisotropic pumping and the effects of maser saturation on the polarization of masers. We extend regular maser excitation modeling with a dimension that describes the molecular population alignments, as well as including the linear polarization dimension to the radiative transfer. The results of the excitation analysis yield the anisotropic pumping and decay parameters, that are subsequently used in one-dimensional proper maser polarization radiative transfer modeling. We present the anisotropic pumping parameters for a variety of transitions from class I CH$_3$OH masers, H$_2$O masers and SiO masers. SiO masers are highly anisotropically pumped due to them occurring in the vicinity of a late-type star, that irradiates the maser region with a strong directional radiation field. Class I CH$_3$OH masers and H$_2$O masers occur in association with shocks, and they are modestly anisotropically pumped due to the anisotropy of the excitation region. Our modeling constitutes the first quantitative constraints on the anisotropic pumping of masers. We find that anisotropic pumping can explain the high polarization yields of SiO masers, as well as the modest polarization of unsaturated class I CH$_3$OH masers. We predict that the $183$ GHz H$_2$O maser is strongly anisotropically pumped. Finally, we outline a mechanism through which non-Zeeman circular polarization is produced, when the magnetic field changes direction along the propagation through an anisotropically pumped maser., Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures, accepted to A&A

In order to understand galaxy growth evolution, it is critical to constrain the evolution of its building block: gas. Mostly comprised by Hydrogen in its neutral (HI) and molecular (H2) phases, the latter is the one mostly directly associated to star-formation, while the neutral phase is considered the long-term gas reservoir. In this work, we make use of an empirical relation between dust emission at millimeter wavelengths and total gas mass in the inter-stellar medium (M_HI plus M_H2) in order to retrieve the HI content in galaxies. We assemble an heterogeneous sample of 335 galaxies at 0.011E10.5M_sun significantly decreased since 8-12Gyr ago. The specific sample used for this analysis is associated to 20-50% of the total cosmic HI content as estimated via Damped Lyman-alpha Absorbers. In IR luminous galaxies, HI mass content decreases between z~2.5 and z~1.5, while H2 seems to increase. We also show source detection expectations for SKA surveys., Comment: Incorporated feedback obtained during ALMA-10yr conference and via email. Submitted to MNRAS. Main text 13 pages. Comments are welcomed

We report the first ground-based detection of the water line p-H2O (211-202) at 752.033 GHz in three z < 0.08 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs): IRAS 06035-7102, IRAS 17207-0014 and IRAS 09022-3615. Using the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), with its Swedish-ESO PI Instrument for APEX (SEPIA) band-9 receiver, we detect this H2O line with overall signal-to-noise ratios of 8-10 in all three galaxies. Notably, this is the first detection of this line in IRAS 06035-7102. Our new APEX-measured fluxes, between 145 to 705 Jy km s-1, are compared with previous values taken from Herschel SPIRE FTS. We highlight the great capabilities of APEX for resolving the H2O line profiles with high spectral resolutions while also improving by a factor of two the significance of the detection within moderate integration times. While exploring the correlation between the p-H2O(211-202) and the total infrared luminosity, our galaxies are found to follow the trend at the bright end of the local ULIRG's distribution. The p-H2O(211-202) line spectra are compared to the mid-J CO and HCN spectra, and dust continuum previously observed with ALMA. In the complex interacting system IRAS 09022-3615, the profile of the water emission line is offset in velocity with respect to the ALMA CO(J = 4 - 3) emission. For IRAS 17207-0014 and IRAS 06035-7102, the profiles between the water line and the CO lines are spectroscopically aligned. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of directly conducting ground-based high-frequency observations of this key water line, opening the possibility of detailed follow-up campaigns to tackle its nature.

We present hydrodynamic simulations of the interstellar medium (ISM) within the circumnuclear disk (CND) of a typical AGN-dominated galaxy influenced by mechanical feedback from an active galactic nucleus(AGN). The simulations are coupled with the CHIMES non-equilibrium chemistry network to treat the radiative-cooling and AGN-heating. A focus is placed on the central 100 pc scale where AGN outflows are coupled to the ISM and constrained by observational Seyfert-2 galaxies. AGN-feedback models are implemented with different wind-velocity and mass-loading factors. We post-process the simulation snapshots with a radiative-transfer code to obtain the molecular emission lines. We find that the inclusion of an AGN promotes the formation of CO in clumpy and dense regions surrounding supermassive-blackholes (SMBH). The CO(1-0) intensity maps ($<$6 Myr) in the CND seem to match well with observations of NGC 1068 with a best match for a model with 5000 $\rm km/s$ wind-velocity and a high mass-loading factor. We attempt to discern between competing explanations for the apparent counter-rotating gas disk in the NGC 1068 through an analysis of kinematic maps of the CO line emission. We suggest that mechanical AGN-feedback could explain the alignment-stability of position-angle across the different CND radii around the SMBH through momentum and energy loading of the wind. It is the wind-velocity that drives the disk out of alignment on a 100 pc scale for a long period of time. The position-velocity diagrams are in broad agreement with the predicted Keplerian rotation-curve in the model without-AGN, but the AGN models exhibit a larger degree of scatter, in better agreement with NGC 1068 observations., Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a prime target for studying black hole accretion and jet formation^{1,2}. Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87 in 2017, at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, revealed a ring-like structure, which was interpreted as gravitationally lensed emission around a central black hole^3. Here we report images of M87 obtained in 2018, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, showing that the compact radio core is spatially resolved. High-resolution imaging shows a ring-like structure of 8.4_{-1.1}^{+0.5} Schwarzschild radii in diameter, approximately 50% larger than that seen at 1.3 mm. The outer edge at 3.5 mm is also larger than that at 1.3 mm. This larger and thicker ring indicates a substantial contribution from the accretion flow with absorption effects in addition to the gravitationally lensed ring-like emission. The images show that the edge-brightened jet connects to the accretion flow of the black hole. Close to the black hole, the emission profile of the jet-launching region is wider than the expected profile of a black-hole-driven jet, suggesting the possible presence of a wind associated with the accretion flow., Comment: 50 pages, 18 figures, 3 tables, author's version of the paper published in Nature

Ultra-high angular resolution in astronomy has always been an important vehicle for making fundamental discoveries. Recent results in direct imaging of the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87 by the millimeter VLBI system Event Horizon Telescope and various pioneering results of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron provided new momentum in high angular resolution astrophysics. In both mentioned cases, the angular resolution reached the values of about 10-20 microrcseconds. Further developments toward at least an order of magnitude "sharper" values are dictated by the needs of astrophysical studies and can only be achieved by placing millimeter and submillimeter wavelength interferometric systems in space. A concept of such the system, called Terahertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics (THEZA), has been proposed in the framework of the ESA Call for White Papers for the Voayage 2050 long term plan in 2019. In the current paper we discuss several approaches for addressing technological challenges of the THEZA concept. In particular, we consider a novel configuration of a space-borne millimeter/sub-millimeter antenna which might resolve several bottlenecks in creating large precise mechanical structures. The paper also presents an overview of prospective space-qualified technologies of low-noise analogue front-end instrumentation for millimeter/sub-millimeter telescopes, data handling and processing. The paper briefly discusses approaches to the interferometric baseline state vector determination and synchronisation and heterodyning system. In combination with the original ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper, the current work sharpens the case for the next generation microarcsceond-level imaging instruments and provides starting points for further in-depth technology trade-off studies., Comment: The paper on 29 pages contains 12 figures, accepted for publication in Acta Astronautica, based on the presentation at the 72nd IAC, Dubai, UAE, October 2021

In April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration revealed the first image of the candidate super-massive black hole (SMBH) at the centre of the giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87). This event-horizon-scale image shows a ring of glowing plasma with a dark patch at the centre, which is interpreted as the shadow of the black hole. This breakthrough result, which represents a powerful confirmation of Einstein's theory of gravity, or general relativity, was made possible by assembling a global network of radio telescopes operating at millimetre wavelengths that for the first time included the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA). The addition of ALMA as an anchor station has enabled a giant leap forward by increasing the sensitivity limits of the EHT by an order of magnitude, effectively turning it into an imaging array. The published image demonstrates that it is now possible to directly study the event horizon shadows of SMBHs via electromagnetic radiation, thereby transforming this elusive frontier from a mathematical concept into an astrophysical reality. The expansion of the array over the next few years will include new stations on different continents - and eventually satellites in space. This will provide progressively sharper and higher-fidelity images of SMBH candidates, and potentially even movies of the hot plasma orbiting around SMBHs. These improvements will shed light on the processes of black hole accretion and jet formation on event-horizon scales, thereby enabling more precise tests of general relativity in the truly strong field regime., Comment: 11 pages + cover page, 6 figures

This paper presents the ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper for a concept of TeraHertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics (THEZA). It addresses the science case and some implementation issues of a space-borne radio interferometric system for ultra-sharp imaging of celestial radio sources at the level of angular resolution down to (sub-) microarcseconds. THEZA focuses at millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelengths (frequencies above $\sim$300~GHz), but allows for science operations at longer wavelengths too. The THEZA concept science rationale is focused on the physics of spacetime in the vicinity of supermassive black holes as the leading science driver. The main aim of the concept is to facilitate a major leap by providing researchers with orders of magnitude improvements in the resolution and dynamic range in direct imaging studies of the most exotic objects in the Universe, black holes. The concept will open up a sizeable range of hitherto unreachable parameters of observational astrophysics. It unifies two major lines of development of space-borne radio astronomy of the past decades: Space VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) and mm- and sub-mm astrophysical studies with "single dish" instruments. It also builds upon the recent success of the Earth-based Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) -- the first-ever direct image of a shadow of the super-massive black hole in the centre of the galaxy M87. As an amalgam of these three major areas of modern observational astrophysics, THEZA aims at facilitating a breakthrough in high-resolution high image quality studies in the millimetre and sub-millimetre domain of the electromagnetic spectrum., Comment: White Paper submitted in response to the ESA Call Voyage 2050

We present a detailed description of the special procedures for calibration and quality assurance of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) mode. These procedures are required to turn the phased ALMA array into a fully calibrated VLBI station. As an illustration of these methodologies, we present full-polarization observations carried out with ALMA as a phased array at 3mm (Band 3) and 1.3mm (Band 6) as part of Cycle-4. These are the first VLBI science observations conducted with ALMA and were obtained during a 2017 VLBI campaign in concert with other telescopes worldwide as part of the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA, April 1-3) and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT, April 5-11) in ALMA Bands 3 and 6, respectively., Comment: 39 pages, 20 figures, 10 tables, accepted by PASP

Centaurus A, with its gas-rich elliptical host galaxy, NGC 5128, is the nearest radio galaxy at a distance of 3.8 Mpc. Its proximity allows us to study the interaction between an active galactic nucleus, radio jets, and molecular gas in great detail. We present ALMA observations of low J transitions of three CO isotopologues, HCN, HCO$^{+}$, HNC, CN, and CCH toward the inner projected 500 pc of NGC 5128. Our observations resolve physical sizes down to 40 pc. By observing multiple chemical probes, we determine the physical and chemical conditions of the nuclear interstellar medium of NGC 5128. This region contains molecular arms associated with the dust lanes and a circumnuclear disk (CND) interior to the molecular arms. The CND is approximately 400 pc by 200 pc and appears to be chemically distinct from the molecular arms. It is dominated by dense gas tracers while the molecular arms are dominated by $^{12}$CO and its rare isotopologues. The CND has a higher temperature, elevated CN/HCN and HCN/HNC intensity ratios, and much weaker $^{13}$CO and C$^{18}$O emission than the molecular arms. This suggests an influence from the AGN on the CND molecular gas. There is also absorption against the AGN with a low velocity complex near the systemic velocity and a high velocity complex shifted by about 60 km s$^{-1}$. We find similar chemical properties between the CND in emission and both the low and high velocity absorption complexes implying that both likely originate from the CND. If the HV complex does originate in the CND, then that gas would correspond to gas falling toward the supermassive black hole.

Aim: The aim of this work is to search Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 4945, a well-known 22 GHz water megamaser galaxy, for water (mega)maser emission at 183 GHz. Method: We used APEX SEPIA Band 5 to perform the observations. Results: We detected 183 GHz water maser emission towards NGC 4945 with a peak flux density of ~3 Jy near the galactic systemic velocity. The emission spans a velocity range of several hundred km/s. We estimate an isotropic luminosity of > 1000 Lsun, classifying the emission as a megamaser. A comparison of the 183 GHz spectrum with that observed at 22 GHz suggests that 183 GHz emission also arises from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) central engine. If the 183 GHz emission originates from the circumnuclear disk, then we estimate that a redshifted feature at 1084 km/s in the spectrum should arise from a distance of 0.022 pc from the supermassive black hole (1.6 x 10(5) Schwarzschild radii), i.e. closer than the water maser emission previously detected at 22 GHz. This is only the second time 183 GHz maser emission has been detected towards an AGN central engine (the other galaxy being NGC 3079). It is also the strongest extragalactic millimetre/submillimetre water maser detected to date. Conclusions: Strong millimetre 183 GHz water maser emission has now been shown to occur in an external galaxy. For NGC 4945, we believe that the maser emission arises, or is dominated by, emission from the AGN central engine. Emission at higher velocity, i.e. for a Keplerian disk closer to the black hole, has been detected at 183 GHz compared with that for the 22 GHz megamaser. This indicates that millimetre/submillimetre water masers can indeed be useful probes for tracing out more of AGN central engine structures and dynamics than previously probed. Future observations using ALMA Band 5 should unequivocally determine the origin of the emission in this and other galaxies., Comment: 4 pages, accepted by A&A Letters

An international consortium is presently constructing a beamformer for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile that will be available as a facility instrument. The beamformer will aggregate the entire collecting area of the array into a single, very large aperture. The extraordinary sensitivity of phased ALMA, combined with the extremely fine angular resolution available on baselines to the Northern Hemisphere, will enable transformational new very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations in Bands 6 and 7 (1.3 and 0.8 mm) and provide substantial improvements to existing VLBI arrays in Bands 1 and 3 (7 and 3 mm). The ALMA beamformer will have impact on a variety of scientific topics, including accretion and outflow processes around black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN), tests of general relativity near black holes, jet launch and collimation from AGN and microquasars, pulsar and magnetar emission processes, the chemical history of the universe and the evolution of fundamental constants across cosmic time, maser science, and astrometry., Comment: The science case for the ALMA beamformer is a living document with input from a broad cross-section of the astronomical community. We strongly welcome further comments and contributions

We report the detection of a 22GHz water maser line in the nearest (D~3.8Mpc) radio galaxy Centaurus A using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). The line is centered at a velocity of ~960kms-1, which is redshifted by about 400kms-1 from the systemic velocity. Such an offset, as well as the width of ~120kms-1, could be consistent with either a nuclear maser arising from an accretion disk of the central supermassive black hole, or for a jet maser that is emitted from the material that is shocked near the base of the jet in Centaurus\,A. The best spatial resolution of our ATCA data constrains the origin of the maser feature within <3pc from the supermassive black hole. The maser exhibits a luminosity of ~1Lo, which classifies it as a kilomaser, and appears to be variable on timescales of months. A kilomaser can also be emitted by shocked gas in star forming regions. Given the small projected distance from the core, the large offset from systemic velocity, as well as the smoothness of the line feature, we conclude that a jet maser line emitted by shocked gas around the base of the AGN is the most likely explanation. For this scenario we can infer a minimum density of the radio jet of ~>10cm-3, which indicates substantial mass entrainment of surrounding gas into the propagating jet material., Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters