The infrared is a key wavelength regime for probing the dusty, obscured nuclear regions of active galaxies. We present results from an infrared study of 87 nearby Seyfert galaxies using the Spitzer Space Telescope and ground-based telescopes. Combining det

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C.L.Buchanan1,J.F.Gallimore2,C.P.O’Dea3,S.A.Baum4,D.J.Axon3,A.Robinson3,J.Noel-Storr3,A.Yzaguirre2,M.Elitzur5,M.Elvis6,andC.Tadhunter7

1UniversityofMelbourne,Victoria,3010,Australiae-mail:clb@unimelb.edu.au2BucknellUniversity,Lewisburg,PA,17837,USA

3RochesterInstituteofTechnology,84LombMemorialDrive,Rochester,NY,14623,USA4RochesterInstituteofTechnology,54LombMemorialDrive,Rochester,NY,14623,USA5UniversityofKentucky,Lexington,KY,40506,USA

6Harvard-SmithsonianCenterforAstrophysics,60GardenStreet,Cambridge,MA,02138,USA

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UniversityofShe eld,She eld,S37RH,UK

Abstract.Theinfraredisakeywavelengthregimeforprobingthedusty,obscurednuclear

regionsofactivegalaxies.Wepresentresultsfromaninfraredstudyof87nearbySeyfertgalaxiesusingtheSpitzerSpaceTelescopeandground-basedtelescopes.Combiningde-tailedmodellingofthe3-100micronspectralenergydistributionswithmid-IRspectraldiagnosticsandnear-infraredobservations,we ndbroadsupportfortheuni edmodelofAGNs.TheIRemissionofSeyfert1sand2sisconsistentwiththeirhavingthesametypeofcentralengineviewedatadi erentorientation.Thenatureoftheputativetorusisbecomingclearer;inparticularwepresentevidencethatitislikelyaclumpymedium.Mid-infraredcorrelationsbetweentracersofstarformationandAGNionizingluminosityrevealthestarburst-AGNconnectionimpliedbytheblackhole/bulgemassrelation,howeveritisnotyetclearifthisisduetofeedback.

Keywords.Galaxies:Seyfert–Galaxies:Active–Galaxies:Stellarcontent–Infrared:

galaxies

1.Introduction

Theinfraredwavelengthregimeprovidesauniqueprobeintothenuclearregionsofactivegalaxies(AGNs),asthecircumnucleardustabsorbsandreradiateshigherenergyphotonsfromthenucleus.WeareconductingastudyoftheinfraredemissionfromnearbySeyfertgalaxies,usingtheSpitzerSpaceTelescope