The Discovery of the Zeeman Effect in 38 GHz Class II Methanol Masers

Abstract

Magnetic fields likely play an important role in star formation, but the number of directly measured magnetic field strengths remains scarce. We observed the 38.3 and 38.5 GHz Class II methanol (CH _3 OH) maser lines toward the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334 F for the Zeeman effect. The observed spectral profiles have two prominent velocity features that can be further decomposed through Gaussian component fitting. In several of these fitted Gaussian components we find significant Zeeman detections, with zB _los in the range from 8 to 46 Hz. If the Zeeman splitting factor z for the 38 GHz transitions is of the order of ∼1 Hz mG ^−1 , similar to that for several other CH _3 OH maser lines, then magnetic fields in the regions traced by these masers would be in the range of 8–46 mG. Such magnetic field values in high-mass star-forming regions agree with those detected in the better-known 6.7 GHz Class II CH _3 OH maser line. Since Class II CH _3 OH masers are radiatively pumped close to the protostar and likely occur in the accretion disk or the interface between the disk and outflow regions, such fields likely have significant impact on the dynamics of these disks.

Keywords

• Interstellar magnetic fields
• Star forming regions
• Star formation
• Astrophysical masers
• Interstellar molecules
• Astrosphere interstellar medium interactions