Ultraluminous infrared galaxies

Details Ultraluminous infrared galaxies Ultraluminous infrared galaxies

May 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987nascp2466..411s&link_type=abstract

Star formation in galaxies, Proceedings of a conference at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, June 16

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

15

Infrared Radiation, Molecular Gases, Radio Emission, Radio Galaxies, Star Formation, Stellar Luminosity, Active Galactic Nuclei, Infrared Astronomy, Infrared Astronomy Satellite, Quasars, Red Shift, Starburst Galaxies, Stellar Spectra

Scientific paper

The IRAS survey of the local universe has revealed the existence of a class of ultraluminous infrared galaxies with L(8 to 1000 micrometer) greater than 10 to the 12th L0 that are slightly more numerous, and as luminous as optically selected quasars at similar redshift. Optical CCD images of these infrared galaxies show that nearly all are advanced mergers. Millimeter wave CO observations indicate that these interacting systems are extremely rich in molecular gas with total H2 masses 1 to 3 x 10 to the 10th power M0. Nearly all of the ultraluminous infrared galaxies show some evidence in their optical spectra for nonthermal nuclear activity. It is proposed that their infrared luminosity is powered by an embedded active nucleus and a nuclear starburst both of which are fueled by the tremendous reservoir of molecular gas. Once these merger nuclei shed their obscuring dust, allowing the AGN to visually dominate the decaying starburst, they become the optically selected quasars.

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