CFHT Adaptive Optics & Adonis observations of Starburst galaxies

Abstract

To be able to understand the link between starburst and AGN (are starburst progenitors of AGNs? e.g. Sanders et al 1988), high angular resolution is essential so as to identify each phenomena, and their respective contribution to the luminosity. Observations first carried out with ADONIS, ESO's adaptive optics instrument, and now with PUEO, CFHT's adaptive optics bonnette of starburst galaxies allow to study the morphology of potential starburst regions, and more precisely, to shed some light on the probable link between starburst activity and characteristic structures; for instance, these can be very young or old star population aggregate, circumnuclear starburst disks or rings. Signs of mergers (multiple nuclei, wisps or tails) are also of interest as they allow to look into the question whether there always is a merger at the onset of a starburst (Mirabel & Sanders, 1989), and if so, at which phase.