A Near-IR spectral atlas of IR-selected nearby spirals

We have secured long-slit spectra with R similar to 440, covering the K, H and J bands, of 28, 26 and 13 nearby galaxies respectively. The target list comprises complete samples, flux-limited at 25 mu m, of 'normal' (control) galaxies (undistorted morphology, normal IRAS colours), 'normal starbursts' (undistorted morphology, starburst IRAS colours), 'interacting/merger starbursts' (multiple/ disturbed morphology, starburst IRAS colours), Seyferts 1 and 2 and two low-metallicity star-forming systems. LINERs were included but were not separately selected. We here describe this data set, which is to be made publicly available as an atlas of spectra, and remark on a few results already apparent in the partially-reduced data.