High-Resolution Mid-Infrared Imaging of Infrared-luminous Galaxies

Details High-Resolution Mid-Infrared Imaging of Infrared-luminous Galaxies High-Resolution Mid-Infrared Imaging of Infrared-luminous Galaxies

Jul 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996apj...465..191m&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal v.465, p.191

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

37

Infrared: General, Galaxies: Starburst, Galaxies: Nuclei, Galaxies: Active

Scientific paper

We present high-resolution mid-infrared (~10 micron) imaging of a flux-limited sample of galaxies with far-infrared luminosity L_FIR_ > 10^11^ L_sun_. This work was done to investigate whether the energy generation mechanism powering these infrared-luminous galaxies comes from massive bursts of star formation or from active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our images trace the spatial extent of the warm (~>200 K) dust, which must lie close to the heating source. The majority of the sample galaxies are extended, which implies a starburst as the source of at least part of the energy. However, most of the galaxies also contain an unresolved nucleus, so the presence of an AGN cannot be ruled out. We argue that the observations are consistent with an evolutionary model in which the infrared-luminous galaxies are seen as dusty cocoons for the birth of quasars.

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