Mid-infrared Surveys of Nearby Interacting Galaxies

This is a research program led by Andreas Zezas of SAO with significant contribution of OIR scientists. It has been granted Spitzer Guest Observation (GO) time with the goal of systematically studying a large sample of nearby interacting systems, selected based mostly on morphological traces. Some of the interacting galaxies are infrared bright and actively forming stars, while others appear not to be so. By comparing these different types we hope to be able to better understand the temporal process of interactions and mergers and their relationship to galactic evolution.

Infrared Bright Interacting Galaxies and Mergers

This is a research program led by Dr. Zhong Wang with Spitzer Guaranteed Time (GT) observations and complimentary observations from other wavelengths, focusing on the properties of more than a dozen well-known interacting systems that are also actively forming stars. These galaxies are on average more than 10 times brighter (in total energy output) than normal, and are likely to be undergoing starbursts in parts or the entire body of the interacting system.