NEAR-INFRARED CONTINUUM AND 3.3-MU-M POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON IMAGING OF THE STARBURST RING IN THE TYPE-1 SEYFERT-GALAXY NGC-7469

High resolution near-infrared images of the type 1 Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 have been obtained to probe its dusty nuclear environment. Direct J, H, and K images are relatively featureless, but residual images cr eated by subtracting a smooth model based on best-fitting elliptical i sophotes reveal a tight inner spiral whose high surface-brightness por tions correspond to a previously detected 3'' (1 kpc) diameter ring of radio continuum emission. The inner infrared spiral arms extended alm ost-equal-to 4'' NW and SE from the nucleus, and the NW arm joins up w ith large-scale spiral structure visible in the R band. The residual i mages also show a bar-like structure aligned with the brightest infrar ed/radio hotspots at PA almost-equal-to 50-degrees. Three infrared hot spots are detected which align remarkably well with 6 cm radio continu um sources. The near-infrared ring and the hotspots are visible in the residual images, and in a high-resolution direct K-band image restore d to an effective resolution of 0.65'' FWHM using the Richardson-Lucy algorithm. The infrared hotspots have luminosities of nuL(nu)(2.2 mum) almost-equal-to 10(8) L. (M(K) almost-equal-to -16 mag), suggesting t hey are either giant H II regions or individual supernovae. The two br ightest regions may be associated with enhanced star formation trigger ed by orbit crowding of gas where spiral arms emerge from an inner bar . Narrowband (DELTAlambda/lambda approximately 1.5%) imaging in the 3. 28 mum dust emission feature and surrounding continuum confirms the 3' ' diameter 3.28 mum emission region detected previously using multiape rture photometry. The extended polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) e mission is slightly elongated and aligned with published [O III] line emission and 12.5 mum continuum emission, apparently tracing the starb urst. The presence of almost-equal-to 25% of the total 3.28 mum PAH em ission within R<1'' demonstrates that a starburst within the central f ew hundred parsecs must supply a significant fraction of the infrared continuum from the nucleus, and there is apparently sufficient shieldi ng material between the starburst and the AGN to preserve the PAHs alo ng our line of sight to the nucleus.