2013ApJ...763....8M

We present the results of a comprehensive survey using the Arecibo Observatory for Zeeman splitting of OH lines in OH megamasers (OHMs). A total of 77 sources were observed with the Arecibo telescope. Of these, maser emission could not be detected for eight sources, and two sources were only ambiguously detected. Another 27 sources were detected at low signal-to-noise ratios or with interference that prevented placing any useful limits on the presence of magnetic fields. In 26 sources, it was possible to place upper limits on the magnitude of magnetic fields, typically between 10 and 30 mG. For 14 sources, the Stokes V spectra exhibit features consistent with Zeeman splitting. Eleven of these 14 are new detections, and the remaining three are re-detections of Stokes V detections in Robishaw et al. Among confident new detections, we derive magnetic fields associated with maser regions with magnitudes ranging from 6.1 to 27.6 mG. The distribution of magnetic field strengths suggests the magnetic fields in OH masing clouds in OHMs are larger than those in Galactic OH masers. The results are consistent with magnetic fields playing a dynamically important role in OH masing clouds in OHMs.