NEAR-INFRARED OBSERVATIONS OF A NUCLEAR BAR AND BICONICAL STRUCTURE IN THE STARBURST GALAXY NGC-6946

We use high-resolution near-infrared (J- and K-band) images of the nuc lear starburst galaxy NGC 6946 to compare stellar morphology with the previously published distribution of CO in the central regions. We fin d a small stellar bar with a length of 210 pc, which lies perpendicula r to an 1860 pc long stellar oval distortion. The small bar has a posi tion angle of 140 degrees, which coincides with a barlike feature in C O, as well as with the kinematic minor axis. It has a flat light distr ibution and a strong bar-interbar contrast of 1 mag; it may play a rol e in fueling the central starburst despite its small size. A biconical structure about 80 pc long, perpendicular to the bar, is evident in t he (J-K) color map. The (J-K) contours match published high-resolution CO contours very well.