EVOLUTIONARY MODELS OF THE RADIO-EMISSION IN COMPACT STARBURSTS

We present the first complete set of evolutionary models developed to investigate the temporal evolution of the radio emission properties in compact starbursts. The constituents of the radio emission are the th ermal free-free emission from the ionized gas, the non-thermal emissio n from young bright radio supernovae, and the nonthermal emission from old supernova remnants. Both instantaneous and continuous bursts are considered in a wide variety of models characterized by different meta llicities and initial mass function (IMF) parameters, i.e. IMF slope a nd mass limits. The outputs of the models have a direct applicability in the study of dusty star-forming environments like those present in starburst galaxies, in general. Also, the models can be used for direc t comparison with radio observations of ultraluminous infrared galaxie s (ULIRG) to reveal the nature - active galactic nucleus (AGN) or nucl ear starburst - of the energy source in the central regions of these g alaxies.