2009AJ....137.3293E

Using the Expanded Very Large Array, we have conducted a search for 22.2 GHz H₂ O megamaser emission in the strongly lensed submm galaxy, SMM J16359+6612 at z = 2.517. This object is lensed into three components, and after a correction for magnification is applied to its submm-wavelength flux density, it is typical of the bulk of the high-redshift, submm galaxy population responsible for the 850 µm extragalactic background (S_850 µm_∼ 1 mJy). We do not detect any H₂ O megamaser emission, but the lensing allows us to place an interesting constraint on the luminosity of any megamasers present, 5305 L_☉ for an assumed linewidth of 80 km/s. Because the far-infrared luminosity in submm galaxies is mainly powered by star formation, and very luminous H₂ O megamasers are more commonly associated with quasar activity, it could be that blind searches for H₂ O megamasers will not be an effective means of determining redshifts for less-luminous members of the submm galaxy population.