Radio and Optical Studies of a Complete Sample of IRAS Galaxies

Radio maps, spectra and CCD images have been obtained for almost all the 158 objects in a complete sample of IRAS galaxies. The linear relation between radio and far-infrared luminosity is valid over the complete luminosity range (up to LIR=1.8×1012 L⊙, H○=75 km s−1 Mpc−1). The majority of the 10 most luminous galaxies show evidence of tidal disruption and have companion galaxies at projected separations which range between 6 and 138 kpc. The second most luminous galaxy, IRAS 00275-2859, is a quasar with a spectrum reminiscent of a broad line absorption quasar and with a band of absorption running across the object: its infrared to radio luminosity ratio is identical to that of the typical IRAS galaxy