VLBI studies of SiO masers around VX Sagittarii

Abstract

AbstractObservations of 43 GHz 28SiO (v = 1, J = 1-0) masers in the circumstellar envelope of the M-type semi-regular variable star VX Sgr were performed using the VLBA at 3 epochs during 1999 April-May. By tracing 42 matched maser features appearing in all the three epochs, we determined the contraction of an SiO maser shell toward VX Sgr at a velocity of about 4 km s−1 at a distance of 1.7 kpc to VX Sgr. We also report on some preliminary results from our first epoch of simultaneous VLBA observations of three 7 mm SiO masers toward VX Sgr.