The nuclear environment of the water megamaser radiogalaxy 3C 403

So far, few direct sub-arcsecond resolution studies exist of the dense material that, according to the standard unified scheme, should obscure the central engines of radio galaxies. In the following, observations are presented that highlight the nuclear environment of the prototypical X-shaped FR II galaxy 3C 403. To date, it is the only powerful radio galaxy known to host a water megamaser.