Astron. Astrophys. 334, 482-488 (1998)

Mid-infrared spectroscopy of obscured IRAS galaxies ^*

Hideaki Mouri ¹, Yoshiaki Taniguchi ², Yasunori Sato ^{3, 4} and Kimiaki Kawara <sup>5

1</sup> Meteorological Research Institute, 1-1 Nagamine, Tsukuba 305, Japan
² Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-77, Japan
³ ISO Science Operations Centre, Astrophysics Division of European Space Agency, E-28080 Madrid, Spain
⁴ Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 220, Japan
⁵ Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, Mitaka, Tokyo 181, Japan

Received 6 January 1998 / Accepted 24 February 1998

Abstract

Spectra from 6 to 12 µm are presented for the infrared galaxies NGC 1266, Arp 148, and IRAS 1713+53. Though they are not markedly luminous (), their IRAS colors are close to the colors of ultraluminous infrared galaxies, and thus indicative of heavy obscuration. The 6-12 µm spectra are dominated by emission features of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules at 6.2, 7.7, and 8.6 µm. This demonstrates the existence of dust-enshrouded starbursts in those galaxies.

Key words: galaxies: ISM galaxies: starburst infrared: galaxies infrared: ISM: lines and bands

* Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory, an ESA project with instruments funded by ESA Member States (especially the PI countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) with the participation of ISAS and NASA.

Send offprint requests to: H. Mouri, (hmouri@mri-jma.go.jp)

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1998

Online publication: May 15, 1998

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