An infrared study of the double nucleus in NGC3256

TL;DR

This study provides detailed IR imaging and spectroscopy of NGC3256's nuclei, revealing differences in their infrared emission and star-forming conditions, with implications for understanding galaxy mergers.

Contribution

It offers new resolved IR observations and analysis of the double nucleus in NGC3256, highlighting variations in star formation and dust properties within a merging galaxy.

Findings

Infrared emission differs significantly between the two nuclei.

The northern nucleus requires additional warm dust component.

Star-forming conditions vary within the galaxy system.

Abstract

We present new resolved near and mid-IR imaging and N-band spectroscopy of the two nuclei in the merger system NGCA3256, the most IR luminous galaxy in the nearby universe. The results from the SED fit to the data are consistent with previous estimates of the amount of obscuration towards the nuclei and the nuclear star formation rates. However, we also find substantial differences in the infrared emission from the two nuclei which cannot be explained by obscuration alone. We conclude that the northern nucleus requires an additional component of warm dust in order to explain its properties. This suggests that local starforming conditions can vary significantly within the environment of a single system.