Faint IRAS galaxies: a new species in the extragalactic zoo

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Abstract
We report optical spectroscopy and near-infrared photometry of 19 optically faint galaxies which have been discovered as intense 100 µm sources by IRAS. All have low-excitation emission lines with redshifts up to 0.2, and some exceed 1012L⊙ in their infrared luminosities. We find no evidence of Seyfert-like spectra, but instead suspect starburst activity to power the infrared emission. Many of the galaxies are clearly disturbed or show evidence of interaction with neighbours; the highest redshift source consists of a trio of emission galaxies. By selecting IRAS galaxies with faint optical counterparts, we have isolated a subset of infrared-luminous galaxies which do not show the Seyfert characteristics seen in surveys of extragalactic IRAS sources identified with optically brighter objects. The intrinsic luminosities of some of the sample are higher than those of any previously known active galaxies, and are comparable to those of many quasars.

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