KINEMATICS OF THE STARS IN THE STARBURST NUCLEUS OF M82 - JUST ANOTHER NORMAL STELLAR BULGE

Using the sharp edge of the (2-0)(CO)-C-12 stellar absorption bandhead , we have measured the velocity dispersion from the central 5'' of the starburst galaxy M82. Using both minimum least squares fitting and ma ximum entropy deconvolution we have derived a velocity dispersion for the central r < 7.5 pc of 100 km/s. The mass-to-light ratio this impli es is more than 10 times higher than in the surrounding regions of the galaxy, and is comparable to the same spatial region in our own galax y. This implies that the starlight from the near-infrared-bright nucle us is dominated by an older population of giants and not by supergiant s formed in the starburst.