Molecular outflows and H2O masers: What type of connection?

Abstract

From the search of water maser emission in a sample of 142 molecular outflow sources, we find a relationship between the integrated water maser luminosity and the mechanical luminosity of the outflow (Felli et al. 1992). This relationship is also expected by the model of masers excited by shocks produced by stellar winds.

The association between masers and molecular outflows is characterized by a detection rate which increases: i) with the mechanical luminosity of the outflow, ii) with the total CO line width and iii) with the FIR luminosity of the central object.

The possibility that. the stellar wind from luminous Young Stellar Objects (YSO) is the common source of energy for the maser and the outflow, is reinforced by the analysis of the radio continuum emission found in a subsample of sources.