NEAR-INFRARED IMAGES OF IRAS GALAXIES

A complete subsample for imaging in the near infrared of 43 far-infrar ed galaxies (FIRGs) was chosen from the IRAS Point Source Catalogue. S election criterion was an IRAS spectrum that is typical of FIRGs. 21 o f 43 galaxies were observed at the 2.2-m-telescope at La Silla, Chile. Direct images in I (0.82 mum), H (1.65 mum) and K (2.2 mum) were obta ined using a CCD, and a 32 x 32 IR-array camera with a resolution of 0 .''82 per pixel. Deep images (> 18 mag/square'' in K) were achieved by coadding. A correlation between the NIR and FIR emission of the obser ved galaxies has been found. A comparison of morphology within the dif ferent filters shows a high correspondence of structure on global scal es while there are quite often deviations on small scales. Measurement s of the extension of emission regions pointed out that all NIR source s are extended. A photometric analysis finds the central regions of th e galaxies being redder than the disks. Four selected galaxies are dis cussed in detail. NGC 3256 shows an emission region in K which was not detectable in the I-band. The merger IRAS 17208-0014 shows a de Vauco uleurs brightness profile in K up to a radial distance of 10 kpc. IRAS 20550+1656 is an interacting system where a new extranuclear region w ith an intensive starburst was found. The interacting galaxy IRAS 2312 8-5919 shows two nuclei with a different behaviour in the I- and K-ban d.