[169.07] Imaging Observations of Interacting and Starburst Galaxies with Spitzer

AAS 205th Meeting, 9-13 January 2005
Session 169 Dwarf Galaxies Near and Far and Some Starbursts
Oral, Thursday, January 13, 2005, 2:00-3:30pm, Pacific Salon 1

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[169.07] Imaging Observations of Interacting and Starburst Galaxies with Spitzer

Z. Wang, G. G. Fazio, M. L. N. Ashby, J.-S. Huang, M. A. Pahre, H. A. Smith, S. P. Willner (CfA), B. E. Penprase (Pomona College), J. A. Surace (SSC), J. L. Pipher, W. J. Forrest (Univ. Rochester)

A sample of thirty infrared luminous galaxies which also show distinct signs of gravitational interaction and starbusrt activities has been observed in the mid-infrared with two imaging instruments aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find the flux ratio between emission from warm dust and those from older stellar population far exceeds the average values in non-interactive galaxies. The dust emission is also found to be more concentrated towards the nuclear and/or a few off-nuclear regions of active star formation than the older stellar component. In at least a few cases, a new dust emission component in the IRAC 4.5 micron band has been identified as a potential tracer for the most recent star forming activities. Comparisons with diagnoses based on images of other wavelengths at similar angular resolution will be discussed.

This work is based on observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope (operated by JPL/Caltech, NASA Contract 1407) with support provided through NASA Contract 960541 from JPL/Caltech.

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