We present two new radio continuum images from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) survey in the direction of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). These images are part of the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) Early Science Project (ESP) survey of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. The two new source lists produced from these images contain radio continuum sources observed at 960 MHz (4489 sources) and 1320 MHz (5954 sources) with a bandwidth of 192 MHz and beam sizes of 30.0 ×30.0 and 16.3 ×15.1 , respectively. The median Root Mean Squared (RMS) noise values are 186 µJy beam −1 (960 MHz) and 165 µJy beam −1 (1320 MHz). To create point source catalogues, we use these two source lists, together with the previously published Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) and the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) point source catalogues to estimate spectral indices for the whole population of radio point sources found in the survey region. Combining our ASKAP catalogues with these radio continuum surveys, we found 7736 point-like sources in common over an area of 30 deg 2 . In addition, we report the detection of two new, low surface brightness supernova remnant candidates in the SMC. The high sensitivity of the new ASKAP ESP survey also enabled us to detect the bright end of the SMC planetary nebula sample, with 22 out of 102 optically known planetary nebulae showing point-like radio continuum emission. Lastly, we present several morphologically interesting background radio galaxies.

We present a new optical sample of three Supernova Remnants (SNRs) and 16 Supernova Remnant (SNR) candidates in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). These objects were originally selected using deep Hα, [S ii] and [O iii] narrow-band imaging. Most of the newly found objects are located in less dense regions, near or around the edges of the LMC’s main body. Together with previously suggested MCSNR J0541–6659, we confirm the SNR nature for two additional new objects: MCSNR J0522–6740 and MCSNR J0542–7104. Spectroscopic follow-up observations for 12 of the LMC objects confirm high [S ii]/Hα emission-line ratios ranging from 0.5 to 1.1. We consider the candidate J0509–6402 to be a special example of the remnant of a possible type Ia Supernova (SN) which is situated some 2○ (∼1.75 kpc) north from the main body of the LMC. We also find that the SNR candidates in our sample are significantly larger in size than the currently known LMC SNRs by a factor of ∼2. This could potentially imply that we are discovering a previously unknown but predicted, older class of large LMC SNRs that are only visible optically. Finally, we suggest that most of these LMC SNRs are residing in a very rarefied environment towards the end of their evolutionary span where they become less visible to radio and X-ray telescopes.

We report the discovery of a new Small Magellanic Cloud Pulsar Wind Nebula (PWN) at the edge of the Supernova Remnant (SNR) DEM S5. The pulsar powered object has a cometary morphology similar to the Galactic PWN analogs PSR B1951+32 and 'the mouse'. It is travelling supersonically through the interstellar medium. We estimate the Pulsar kick velocity to be in the range of 700-2000 km s −1 for an age between 28-10 kyr. The radio spectral index for this SNR-PWN-pulsar system is flat (-0.29 ± 0.01) consistent with other similar objects. We infer that the putative pulsar has a radio spectral index of -1.8, which is typical for Galactic pulsars. We searched for dispersion measures (DMs) up to 1000 cm −3 pc but found no convincing candidates with a S/N greater than 8. We produce a polarisation map for this PWN at 5500 MHz and find a mean fractional polarisation of P ∼23 percent. The X-ray power-law spectrum (Γ ∼2) is indicative of non-thermal synchrotron emission as is expected from PWN-pulsar system. Finally, we detect DEM S5 in Infrared (IR) bands. Our IR photometric measurements strongly indicate the presence of shocked gas which is expected for SNRs. However, it is unusual to detect such IR emission in a SNR with a supersonic bow-shock PWN. We also find a low-velocity H i cloud of ∼107 km s −1 which is possibly interacting with DEM S5. SNR DEM S5 is the first confirmed detection of a pulsar-powered bow shock nebula found outside the Galaxy.

We present a multi-frequency study of the intermediate spiral SAB(r)bc type galaxy NGC 6744, using available data from the Chandra X-Ray telescope, radio continuum data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array and Murchison Widefield Array, and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer infrared observations. We identify 117 X-ray sources and 280 radio sources. Of these, we find nine sources in common between the X-ray and radio catalogues, one of which is a faint central black hole with a bolometric radio luminosity similar to the Milky Way's central black hole. We classify 5 objects as supernova remnant candidates, 2 objects as likely supernova remnants, 17 as H ii regions, 1 source as an AGN; the remaining 255 radio sources are categorised as background objects and one X-ray source is classified as a foreground star. We find the star-formation rate (SFR) of NGC 6744 to be in the range 2.8 -4.7 M yr −1 signifying the galaxy is still actively forming stars. The specific SFR of NGC 6744 is greater than that of late-type spirals such as the Milky Way, but considerably less that that of a typical starburst galaxy.