Abstract
The optical/near-IR stellar continuum carries unique information about the stellar population in a galaxy, its mass function and star-formation history. Star-forming regions display rich emission-line spectra, from which we can derive the dust and gas distribution, map velocity fields, metallicities and young massive stars and locate shocks and stellar winds. All this information is very useful in the dissection of the starburst phenomenon. We discuss a few of the advantages and limitations of observations in the optical/near-IR regime, and focus on some results. Special attention is given to the role of interactions and mergers and observations of the relatively dust-free starburst dwarfs. In the future, we expect new and refined diagnostic tools to provide us with more detailed information about the IMF, strength and duration of the burst and its triggering mechanisms.
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Bergvall, N., Marquart, T., Östlin, G., Zackrisson, E. (2005). The Starburst Phenomenon from the Optical/Near-IR Perspective. In: De Grijs, R., González Delgado, R.M. (eds) Starbursts. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 329. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3539-X_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3539-X_18
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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