ADAPTIVE OPTICS IMAGING SURVEY OF LUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We present high-resolution imaging observations of a sample of previously unidentified far-infrared galaxies at z < 0.3. The objects were selected by cross-correlating the IRAS Faint Source Catalog with the VLA Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty cm catalog and the Hubble Space Telescope Guide Star Catalog to allow for adaptive optics observations. We found two new ultraluminous infrared galaxies (with LFIR >= 10^12 L) and 19 new luminous infrared galaxiess (with LFIR >= 10^11 L). Twenty of the galaxies in the sample were imaged with either the Lick or Keck adaptive optics systems in H or K. Galaxy morphologies were determined using the two-dimensional fitting program GALFIT and the residuals examined to look for interesting structure. The morphologies reveal that at least 30% are involved in tidal interactions, with 20% being clear mergers. An additional 50% show signs of possible interaction. Line ratios were used to determine the powering mechanism; of the 17 objects in the sample showing clear emission lines, four are active galactic nuclei and seven are starburst galaxies. The rest exhibit a combination of both phenomena.