AbstractAmongst relatively undisturbed spiral galaxies of type ≤ Sc barred morphology is unquestionably associated with powerful mid- and Far-IR emission. On the other hand, even amongst early type galaxies, those with LFIR/LB < 1/3 exhibit no association of high relative FIR luminosity with barred morphology, but some association of IR colors resembling those of star formation regions (SFRs). Amongst systems with LFIR/LB < 0.1 this ratio may be anti-correlated with barredness. It appears that enhanced IR emission from those galaxies whose star formation rate is currently elevated by the the bar translates them into the group with higher FIR-to-optical luminosity ratios. Depletion of extended nearnuclear gas and dust, once the bar has swept up the currently-available supplies, may reduce the fraction of the background stellar radiation field which can be converted to FIR radiation in the inner, most luminous parts of the galaxy. Thus, after the starburst has subsided, such galaxies may be less FIR-luminous than unbarred systems. Several uncertainties remain: it is still not clear whether barred morphology is a necessary condition for the generation of a starburst in an otherwise undisturbed galaxy, while evidence as to the effect of differing bar strengths is conflicting.
Circumnuclear regions in barred spiral galaxies — I. Near-infrared imaging
