IRAS 17138 - 1017 - a highly obscured luminous starburst galaxy

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Astron. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/114642· OSTI ID:5236676

Depoy, D L; Wynn-Williams, C G; Hill, G J; Becklin, E E

The results of observations, using a variety of telescopes and techniques, of the bright IRAS source 17138 - 1017 are reported. Infrared photometry places the source of the far-infrared emission near the nucleus of an optically faint spiral galaxy identified on CCD images. Radio maps also show structure similar to that observed in the CCD images. The galaxy is at a red shift of about 0.018 and has a bolometric luminosity of about 2.5 x 10 to the 11th solar luminosities, about 30 times larger than that of a normal spiral galaxy. Spectroscopy of the galactic nucleus shows strong Br-alpha, Br-gamma, and H-alpha hydrogen recombination lines, with a derived Lyman-continuum photon rate of about 3 x 10 to the 54th/s. Molecular-hydrogen emission lines are absent. The high luminosity of the galaxy is considered to arise from large numbers of recently formed high-mass stars. 76 references.

• Research Organization: Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5236676
• Journal Information: Astron. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astron. J.; (United States) Vol. 95; ISSN ANJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CONFIGURATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FAR INFRARED RADIATION
FLUX DENSITY
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
INFRARED RADIATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
LUMINOSITY
MORPHOLOGY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOMETRY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RED SHIFT
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION
STAR EVOLUTION