Vivian U (UHawaii-IfA)

Title: Local Luminous Infrared Galaxies: SEDs and Energetics


Abstract: Luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) are believed to be
important transition objects in the context of hierarchical galaxy
formation and evolution. Dominating the total luminosity output at the
peak of cosmic star formation history, these galaxies play an active
role among current extragalactic research that often suffers from the
lack of resolution or appropriate local template. As such, an
investigation of their counterparts in the local universe (z < 0.09)
where we can resolve details is key to our understanding of these
crucial objects at high redshifts.  In this talk, I will present the
SEDs of local LIRGs in the GOALS Survey and discuss the implications
of our analysis on the current understanding of LIRGs' properties.
Our results show that their spectral shapes do span a range, and that
many of them are massive, blue systems. Furthermore, I will motivate
the study of molecular gas distribution using submillimeter probes as
well as measuring black hole masses with near-infrared integral field
spectrograph in the interest of settling the starburst-AGN connection
issues, determining the dominant energy source in LIRGs, and tracing
black hole growth as galaxies collide and merge.