THE STRUCTURE OF ACTIVE MERGER REMNANT NGC 6240 FROM IRAC OBSERVATIONS

NGC 6240 is a rare object in the local universe: an active merger remnant viewed at the point of merging where two active galactic nuclei are visible. We present IRAC data of this object, providing high-sensitivity maps of the stellar and PAH distribution in this complicated system. We use photometry to analyze the variation in these distributions with radius and provide an SED in the four IRAC bands: 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 mu m. We fit the radial profiles of the 3.6 mu m band to r(1/4) and exponential profiles to evaluate the structure of the remnant. Finally, we compare the IRAC images with multiwavelength data and examine how outflows in the X-ray, H alpha, and CO correlate with 8 mu m emission. The results support the general picture of NGC 6240 as a system experiencing a majormerger and transitioning from a disk galaxy to a spheroid. The sensitivity of IRAC to low surface brightness mid-infrared features provides detailed information on the extended distributions of stars and dust in this rare system.