Asymmetry in the Spectrum of High-Velocity H2O Maser Emission Features in Active Galactic Nuclei

Abstract

We suggest a mechanism for the amplification of high-velocity water-vapor maser emission features from the central regions of active galactic nuclei. The model of an emitting accretion disk is considered. The high-velocity emission features originate in the right and left wings of the Keplerian disk. The hyperfine splitting of the signal levels leads to an asymmetry in the spectral profile of the water vapor maser line at a frequency of 22.235 GHz. We show that the gain profile asymmetry must lead to an enhanced brightness of the blueshifted high-velocity emission features compared to the redshifted ones. Such a situation is observed in the source UGC 3789.