1-500um obs. of nearby luminous IR galaxies

We present a detailed study of the infrared (~1-500{mu}m) spectral energy distributions of a large sample of 193 nearby (z~<0.088) luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) covering a wide range of evolutionary stages along the merger sequence. The entire sample has been observed uniformly by 2MASS, WISE, Spitzer, and Herschel.

We perform a multicomponent decomposition of the spectra to derive physical parameters of the interstellar medium, including the intensity of the interstellar radiation field and the mass and luminosity of the dust. We also constrain the presence and strength of nuclear dust heated by active galactic nuclei. The radiation field of LIRGs tends to have much higher intensity than that of quiescent galaxies, and it increases toward advanced merger stages as a result of the central concentration of the interstellar medium and star formation.