SiO maser emission from red supergiants across the Galaxy: I. Targets in massive star clusters

Abstract

Aims. Red supergiants (RSGs) are among the most luminous of all stars, easily detectable in external galaxies, and may ideally serve as kinematic tracers of Galactic structure. Some RSGs are surrounded by circumstellar envelopes detectable by their dust and molecular and, in particular, maser emission. This study consists of a search for maser emission from silicon monoxide (SiO) toward a significant number of RSGs that are members of massive stellar clusters, many of which have only recently been discovered. Further, we aim to relate the occurrence of maser action to properties of the host stars. Methods. Using the IRAM 30 meter telescope, we searched for maser emission in the J = 2 - 1 rotational transition within the first vibrationally excited state of SiO toward a sample of 88 RSGs. Results. With an average rms noise level of 0.25 Jy, we detected maser emission in 15% of the sample, toward most of the sources for the first time in this transition. The peak of the emission provides accurate radial velocities for the RSGs. The dependence of the detection rate on infrared colors supports a radiative pumping mechanism for the SiO masers.

14 pages, 3 figues, Astronomy & Astrophysics (in press). Updated version (April 3, 2012)

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• Exploring the Mass Loss Histories of the Red Supergiants
• GIANO-TNG spectroscopy of red supergiants in the young star cluster RSGC2
• A catalog of known Galactic K-M stars of class I, candidate RSGs, in Gaia DR2
• The distances to star-clusters hosting Red Supergiants: $\chi$ Per, NGC 7419, and Westerlund 1
• Negative and Positive Feedback from a Supernova Remnant with SHREC: A detailed Study of the Shocked Gas in IC443
• Maser Observations of Westerlund 1 and Comprehensive Considerations on Maser Properties of Red Supergiants Associated with Massive Clusters
• The Bulge Asymmetries and Dynamical Evolution (BAaDE) SiO Maser Survey at 86 GHz with ALMA
• Near-Infrared Variability Study of the Central 2.3 arcmin x 2.3 arcmin of the Galactic Centre I. Catalog of Variable Sources
• The population of M-type supergiants in the starburst cluster Stephenson 2
• Red Supergiants in the Local Group
• On the Relation of Silicates and SiO Maser in Evolved Stars
• Molecules and Chemistry in Red Supergiants
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• 86 GHz SiO maser survey of late-type stars in the Inner Galaxy. IV. SiO emission and infrared data for sources in the Scutum and Sagittarius-Carina arms, 20 deg < l < 50 deg
• Quantifying Systematic Age Discrepancies in Very Young Star Clusters