Astronomical infrared imaging.

The object of this thesis was to develop an imaging system using a CID Indium Antimonide (InSb) 33 element detector. Some interesting results were obtained on the rings of Saturn and the poles of Jupiter and the detector would have been used to scan the nuclear regions of galaxies. However, the array had a low sensitivity and a slow response which made it impractical to carry out any observations of galactic nuclei. Data, from single detector scans of NGC 2683, were provided by Dr.A.Adamson and Dr.D.J.Adams. These scans were performed to see if a halo exists around this galaxy. Two methods were used. The first was a deconvolution method which is shown to have a fault when deconvolving diffuse objects. The second method was to analyse the colour indices. This method indicated that there could be a spheroidal component causing the V-J colour to become redder out to approximately 90 arcseconds from the nucleus. Beyond 90 arcseconds, the colour becomes bluer possibly because the galaxy is not quite edge on and the blue disc begins to dominate the colour. The last chapter deals with the morphologically peculiar galaxies NGC 613, 1097, 1365 and 1808. The data on these galaxies were obtained on the AAT using a single detector which was scanned across the objects in a DC mapping mode. Maps were constructed, on a CYBER 73 at Leicester, from the J, H and K data. The data were then examined to see if these galaxies conform to the usual exponential disc and R1/4 laws. The three latter galaxies seem to exhibit nuclear colours similar to Seyfert's and NGC 613 may be either a weak active galaxy, or could just simply suffer from reddening.