Related papers: The `Great Debate': The Case for AGNs

We investigate the relative importance of starbursts and AGN in nuclear activities of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) based on chemodynamical simulations combined with spectrophotometric synthesis codes. We numerically investigate…

This paper reviews the recent results from a comprehensive investigation of the most luminous mergers in the local universe, the ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and the quasars. First, the frequency of occurrence and importance of…

We present the results of a 5-8 micron spectral analysis performed on the largest sample of local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) selected so far, consisting of 164 objects up to a redshift of ~0.35. The unprecedented sensitivity…

Powerful winds driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are often invoked to play a fundamental role in the evolution of both supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies, quenching star formation and explaining the tight…

With infrared luminosities $L_{\mathrm{IR}} \geq 10^{12} L_{\odot}$, Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) are the most luminous objects in the infrared sky. They are predominantly powered by starburst regions with star-formation rates…

Observing programs comprising multiple scientific objectives will enhance the productivity of NASA's next UV/Visible mission. Studying active galactic nuclei (AGN) is intrinsically important for understanding how black holes accrete matter,…

We present a low resolution mid-infrared spectroscopic survey of an unbiased sample of 62 Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) using ISOPHOT-S on board ISO. For comparison we also present ISOPHOT-S spectra for 23 AGN and 15 starburst…

We present an analysis of the 5-8 micron Spitzer-IRS spectra of a sample of 68 local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs). Our diagnostic technique allows a clear separation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst (SB)…

We conducted a Spitzer Space Telescope survey of 28 Luminous (11 < log(LIR/L_odot) < 12, LIRGs) and Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (log(LIR/L_odot) > 12, ULIRGs). Many of these galaxies are found in pairs or associations and are powered…

Galaxy mergers provide a mechanism for galaxies to effectively funnel gas and materials toward their nuclei and fuel the central starbursts and accretion of supermassive black holes. In turn, the active nuclei drive galactic-scale outflows…

We present a detailed analysis of the relation between infrared luminosity and molecular line luminosity, for a variety of molecular transitions, using a sample of 34 nearby galaxies spanning a broad range of infrared luminosities (10^{10}…

In a large sample of ULIRGs imaged with HST, we have identified a significant subsample that shows evidence for multiple mergers. The evidence is seen among two classes of ULIRGs: (1) those with multiple remnant nuclei in their core,…

We show preliminary results from a sample of Luminous and Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs, respectively) in the local universe, obtained from observations using the Very Large Array (VLA), the Multi-Element Radio Link…

We report high quality near-infrared spectroscopy of 12 ultra-luminous infrared galaxy mergers (ULIRGs). Our new VLT and Keck data provide ~0.5" resolution, stellar and gas kinematics of these galaxies most of which are compact systems in…

We use deep Herschel Space Observatory observations of a 90% complete sample of 32 intermediate-redshift 2Jy radio galaxies (0.05 < z < 0.7) to estimate the dust masses of their host galaxies and thereby investigate the triggering…

We investigate what powers hyperluminous infrared galaxies (HyLIRGs; LIR(8-1000um)>10^13 Lsun) at z~1-2, by examining the behaviour of the infrared AGN luminosity function in relation to the infrared galaxy luminosity function. The former…

A sample of 27 ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) systems has been imaged at 1.6 microns using the HST Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). These ULIRGs are from a larger sample also imaged with HST in the I-band.…

Ever since their discovery in the 1970's, UltraLuminous InfraRed Galaxies (ULIRGs; classically Lir>10^12Lsun) have fascinated astronomers with their immense luminosities, and frustrated them due to their singularly opaque nature, almost in…

We present first results from our Very Large Telescope large program to study the dynamical evolution of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs), which are the products of mergers of gas-rich galaxies. The full data set consists of high…

Some of the most active galaxies in the Universe are obscured by large quantities of dust and emit a substantial fraction of their bolometric luminosity in the infrared. Observations of these infrared luminous galaxies with the Infrared…