Radio properties of the supernova remnant N157B

A new investigation of the supernova remnant (SNR) N157B was carried out wi th the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Radio continuum images of the ent ire 30 Doradus region have been made at 3.5 and 6 cm wavelengths with a res olution of similar to 2". These data allow a high-resolution study of the s pectral index distribution and polarization properties of both N157B and th e nearby 30 Doradus nebula (the latter will be reported in a subsequent pap er). N157B is an extended Crab-type SNR which may be beginning the transiti on to a composite remnant. There is little apparent fine structure, and the brightest radio region is several parsecs from the probable position of th e X-ray pulsar. The SNR has a radio spectral index of -0.19 and is signific antly polarized at 3.5 cm but not at longer wavelengths.