Abstract
We present evolutionary synthesis modeling of the nuclear regions of the starburst galaxy M 82, based on near-infrared integral field spectroscopy and mid-infrared ISO spectroscopy. Our data indicate the occurrence of two distinct starburst episodes in the central 500 pc about 8 – 15 Myr and 5 Myr ago, each lasting a few million years only. The first burst was most intense within 50 pc of the nucleus while the second burst took place in a circumnuclear ring of radius ~ 85 pc and along the stellar bar at larger radii. These recent episodes succeeded earlier starburst activity ~ 1 kpc away from the nucleus and peaking 650 Myr ago, as traced by the luminous star clusters studied by de Grijs et al. (2001). The combined results of both studies reveal complex evolution of starburst activity in M 82 which is consistent with a tidally-induced bar-driven scenario.
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