The mid-IR view of interacting galaxies

In this paper, we present ISOCAM mid-IR broad band images and spectra of th ree well known interacting galaxies. These are the prototypical ultralumino us IR galaxy Arp 220, and NGC 6240, which are classified as major mergers r esulting from a collision of two disk galaxies of approximately equal mass, and the prime example of collisional ring galaxies, the Cartwheel. Our observations provide a new powerful tool and shed some more light to th e properties of the hot dust and star formation in interacting galaxies.