Supplementary materials for PhD thesis - " Radio & Infrared Observations of the W3/W4/W5 Star-forming Regions"

This dataset comprises the files contained on a CD-ROM which was attached to the thesis when it was submitted in 2015. It was uploaded to ORDO in 2025 for preservation purposes. For more information, please refer to the thesis “Radio & Infrared Observations of the W3/W4/W5 Star-forming Regions ” via ORO. AbstractAs part of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Surveys KSP, targeted observations of H II regions close to high mass star-forming regions in the Galactic plane have been conducted, as part of the telescope’s commissioning. This thesis details the calibration and analysis of one particular commissioning field, the prominent Galactic star-forming W3/W4/W5 complex and 2 supernova remnants (SNRs) HB3 and 3C 58, at unprecedented low radio frequencies ~ 30–76 MHz (§ 1). This part of the radio spectrum contains large-scale filaments, arcs, bubbles and shells which would be interesting to detail in new parameter space, both spatially and spectrally. A LOFAR calibration pipeline was developed as part of this work (§ 3) resulting in unique continuum maps ~10 deg2 that detail extended diffuse emission of W3/W4/W5 at unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution at low frequencies. Our final full bandwidth image (at ~ 53.5 MHz) reaches a final resolution of between ~ 62–85" and noise level of 4.78 mJy/beam, making it the deepest image obtained in this frequency range. Spectral index maps (§ 4) made from 35.2 MHz, 54.7 MHz and 69.9 MHz continuum images give strong evidence of radio emission by thermal Bremsstrahlung with some localised regions demonstrating free-free self-absorption (§ 2), although we suspect a complete turnover of the H II regions outside of our observed range