The Mid-IR view of interacting galaxies
Cesarsky, C.; Sauvage, M.; Vigroux, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Mirabel, I. F.; Gallais, P.; Tran, D.; Laurent, O.
France, Germany
Abstract
In this paper, we present ISOCAM mid-IR broad band images and spectraof three well known interacting galaxies. These are the prototypicalultraluminous IR galaxy Arp 220, and NGC 6240, which are classifiedas major mergers resulting from a collision of two disk galaxies ofapproximately equal mass, and the prime example of collisional ringgalaxies, the Cartwheel. Our observations provide a new powerful tooland shed some more light to the properties of the hot dust and starformation in interacting galaxies.