ATCA survey of water masers in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Authors :: Imai, H.
Katayama, Y.
Ellingsen, S. P.
Hagiwara, Y.
Publication Year :: 2013
Abstract: We have analysed archival data taken with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) during 2001--2003 and detected nine new interstellar and circumstellar water masers in the LMC. This takes the total number of star formation water masers in the LMC to 23, spread over 14 different star forming regions and three evolved stars. Three water maser sources (N105a/MC23, N113/MC24, N157a/MC74) have been detected in all the previous observations that targeted these sites, although all show significant variability on timescales of decades. The total number of independent water maser sources now known in the LMC means that through very long baseline interferometry astrometric measurements it will be possible to construct a more precise model of the galactic rotation of the LMC and its orbital motion around the Milky Way Galaxy.<br />Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS (Letter)