Abstract

OH megamaser emission is known to be associated with the most central 100 parsecs of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The masers are probing dense concentrations of gas, which presumably have accumulated during the merger event forming the ULIRG. Here we summarize the results from primarily high resolution observations of the 18 cm OH lines in a few OH megamaser galaxies. The maser emission is commonly distributed in disks or tori, but there is also some evidence for other components such as outflows. The appearance of the observed emission strongly depends on the observing resolution, and new theoretical modeling has made important steps toward understanding the observed emission. The radio continuum in OH megamaser galaxies is generally starburst related, and detailed studies of the continuum could perhaps be used to date the merger.

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