Search for main-line OH emission toward high-latitude IRAS sources in the southern hemisphere

We present the results of a search for the emission in the main OH lines toward high-latitude IRAS sources using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in Narrabri. A sample of 239 sources from the IRAS catalog selected with the color criterion for ultracompact HII regions and with no restriction on flux was studied. No maser or thermal emission or absorption was detected in these sources. The reason for this could be the low sensitivity of the ATCA to faint high-latitude objects. However, we have mapped the regions of eight known masers in star-forming regions in the plane of the Galaxy. The results are given in the form of spectra and maps.