New Ammonia Masers in the High-mass Star-forming Region Sgr B2(N)

Abstract

Abstract We report a systemic search for nonmetastable NH3 masers toward a high-mass star-forming region Sgr B2(N) using the Shanghai 65 m Tianma radio telescope with its Ku-band (12–18 GHz) and K-band (18–26.5 GHz) receivers. A total of 18 maser emission transitions were detected, and eight of these are newly identified NH3 maser transitions in interstellar space. Most (five) of the new maser transitions were found from the Ku-band observations which were absent from previous searches. Rotation diagram analysis for the 18 quasi-thermal transitions derived a high gas kinematic temperature (∼400 K) and an extremely high H2 column density (∼5 × 1025 cm−2). Such conditions suggest that the NH3 masers are likely pumped by vibrational excitation. Compared with quiet maser activity observed more than 20 yr ago, NH3 masers may be bursting in our observation time when the gas kinematic temperature might increase from ∼150 to ∼400 K. As extreme conditions (either high gas kinematic temperature and/or high gas column density) are required to excite nonmetastable NH3 masers, it can be argued that the detected NH3 maser outburst may be linked to a more intensive accretion-burst event from an high-mass young stellar object in the Sgr B2(N) region.