Observations of ground-state OH in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We have carried out a series of observations of the 1665and 1667-MHz transitions of the Π3/2, J=3/2 OH ground state towards six selected HII regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud (IRAS 05011-6815 and MRC 0510-689, 0513-694B, 0539-691, 0540-696B, 0540697A) using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The study has provided the first accurate positions for known 1665and 1667-MHz OH masers as well as detecting several new masers. The regions all contain H2O or CH3OH masers but OH masers were detected in only four. The 1.6-GHz continuum emission was also imaged to investigate its spatial relationship to the associated OH maser. Although some masers are close to compact continuum components, in other cases they are near the continuum distribution boundaries and perhaps have been created as a result of the HII region interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium.