Abstract
We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images obtained with the WFPC2 camera at B & I of a nearly complete sample of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) chosen to have “warm” mid-infrared colors. We find that all of these objects: (1) appear to be advanced mergers; (2) contain compact, luminous blue knots presumably powered by star formation, however the total luminosity of these knots is unlikely to be a major fraction of the total bolometric luminosity of the galaxy; (3) contain either one or two compact sources whose optical/near-infrared properties are similar to those of reddened QSOs. We believe that these warm ULIGs represent a critical transition phase between “cooler” ULIGs and optically selected QSOs, and as such represent the immediate progenitors of optically selected QSO hosts.
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