Electron temperatures in the Galactic H II regions W43 and M17

We present 1.2-arcmin resolution images of the Galactic H II regions W43 and M17 made with the Very Large Array (VLA) at a frequency of 330 MHz; these are the highest resolution images to date of the large-scale structures of these complexes at any frequency. The electron temperature towards the component of W43 that has the highest emission measure, G30.8-0.0, is 5410 ± 300 K. The electron temperatures towards the components of M17, G15.0 - 0.7 and G15.1 - 0.7, are 7600−210+700 and 8000−220+450 K respectively. These estimates are consistent with previous estimates based on radio recombination line and continuum observations of these H II regions