[Previous] | [Session 34] | [Next]
M. Yun (University of Massachusetts)
One of the important outcomes of galaxy interactions and mergers is the inflow of the gas into the central potential and subsequent bursts of star formation. Because of the high column densities achieved, observing such activities directly can be difficult. Radio continuum and FIR are optically thin tracers of the starburst activity and may offer the best opportunity to investigate the underlying activity directly.
In my presentation, I will review a variety of phenomena associated with interacting and merging galaxies traced in radio continuum and in far-infrared. The utility of radio continuum and FIR as tracers of star formation will be examined using a statistical analysis of a large sample of galaxies. Implications on the study of dusty starbursts in the early epochs are also discussed.