OH (1720 MHz) Masers: A Multiwavelength Study of the Interaction between
  the W51C Supernova Remnant and the W51B Star Forming Region
  We present a comprehensive view of the W51B HII region complex and the W51C
supernova remnant (SNR) using new radio observations from the VLA, VLBA,
MERLIN, JCMT, and CSO along with archival data from Spitzer, ROSAT, ASCA, and
Chandra. Our VLA data include the first 400 cm (74 MHz) continuum image of W51
at high resolution (88 arcsec). The 400 cm image shows non-thermal emission
surrounding the G49.2-0.3 HII region, and a compact source of non-thermal
emission (W51B_NT) coincident with the previously-identified OH (1720 MHz)
maser spots, non-thermal 21 and 90 cm emission, and a hard X-ray source.
W51B_NT falls within the region of high likelihood for the position of TeV
gamma-ray emission. Using the VLBA three OH (1720 MHz) maser spots are detected
in the vicinity of W51B_NT with sizes of 60 to 300 AU and Zeeman effect
magnetic field strengths of 1.5 to 2.2 mG. The multiwavelength data demonstrate
that the northern end of the W51B HII region complex has been partly enveloped
by the advancing W51C SNR and this interaction explains the presence of W51B_NT
and the OH masers. This interaction also appears in the thermal molecular gas
which partially encircles W51B_NT and exhibits narrow pre-shock (DeltaV 5 km/s)
and broad post-shock (DeltaV 20 km/s) velocity components. RADEX radiative
transfer modeling of these two components yield physical conditions consistent
with the passage of a non-dissociative C-type shock. Confirmation of the
W51B/W51C interaction provides additional evidence in favor of this region
being one of the best candidates for hadronic particle acceleration known thus
far.
