Near-infrared imaging of interacting galaxies

A sample of 22 interacting galaxies has been imaged in the J and K band using an array camera with resolution of 0.76 arcsec/pixel, and an initial description of the resulting data is provided. The near-IR images show the location of previously invisible nuclei in some galaxies, and in others show that features once thought to be nuclei may actually be 'hot spots' of star formation activity. Analysis of the spatial distribution of IR colors shows that virtually all the galaxies become redder toward their nuclei. It is concluded that most of this effect is due to an increase in the amount of dust in the nuclei, with smaller contributions from metallicity and population gradients.