Theoretical Studies of Astronomical Masers

This project will continue a broad, ongoing program of theoretical studies of astronomical masers. Recent maser interferometric observations reveal in unprecedented detail the structure of various astronomical environments. Seizing the opportunities created by this progress, the topics targeted for research include (1) protostellar disks and outflows in high-mass star formation, as probed by water, SiO and methanol masers; (2) the circumstellar shells of evolved stars, traced by a variety of maser and thermal species; (3) the x-ray and shock impact of supernova remnants on their environment, deduced from OH masers; and (4) structure at the parsec and sub-parsec scales at the centers of starburst galaxies and active galactic nuclei as revealed by their OH and H2O mega-maser emission. In each case, a major ingredient of the theoretical research is the close collaboration with the teams conducting pertinent observations.