Space-VLBI observations of OH maser OH34.26+0.15: low interstellar scattering

Abstract

We report on the first space-VLBI observations of the OH34.26+0.15 maser in two main line OH transitions at 1665 and 1667 MHz. The observations involved the space radiotelescope on board the Japanese satellite HALCA and an array of ground radio telescopes. The map of the maser region and images of individual maser spots were produced with an angular resolution of 1 milliarcsec which is several times higher than the angular resolution available on the ground. The maser spots were only partly resolved and a lower limit to the brightness temperature 6x10^{12} K was obtained. The maser seems to be located in the direction of low interstellar scattering, an order of magnitude lower than the scattering of a nearby extragalactic source and pulsar.

8 pages, 2 tables, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

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