IR and X-ray luminosity in Luminous Infrared Galaxies

Abstract

In this work, X-ray data for a sample of 59 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory is presented. These are observations of the lower luminosity portion of the Great Observatory All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), which includes the most luminous infrared selected galaxies, log(Lir=L ) 11:05, in the local universe, z 0:088.With combined X-ray and mid infrared diagnostics for AGN, AGN are found in 32 % of the objects. Objects without traces of AGN appear to be underluminous in X-rays, compared to the previously derived far infrared and X-ray correlations for starburst galaxies at lower star formation rates. Our results suggest the previous claim that star formation rate can be directly inferred from X-ray luminosity may not hold for dusty galaxies like LIRGs.