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Paper: Interferometric Observations of the SiO High J Transition Maser associated with VY Canis Majoris with the Submillimeter Array
Volume: 343, Astronomical Polarimetry: Current Status and Future Directions
Page: 265
Authors: Shinnaga, H.; Moran, J.M.; Young, K.H.; Ho, P.T.P.
Abstract: We imaged the SiO maser emission of J = 5 − 4 in the v = 1 state associated with the peculiar red supergiant VY Canis Majoris using the partially completed Submillimeter Array. We identified seven maser components and measured the relative positions at sub-arcsecond scale in the high J transition for the first time. We have also measured the polarization of these maser components. The strongest maser feature has a linear polarization of ∼ 60%, and its direction of polarization is approximately aligned with the bipolar axis. Such a high degree of polarization suggests that radiative pumping is probably responsible for the maser inversion. Five of the other maser features have significant linear polarization.
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