The authors have used new observational and analytical techniques to obtain high-resolution near-infrared and far-infrared profiles of the luminous peculiar galaxy M82. From simultaneous 1.25, 1.65, and 2.2 μm scans of the galaxy, it is found that the strongest near-infrared emission is coincident with the dynamical center of the galaxy. Simultaneous 40 μm and 100 μm high angular resolution profiles of M82 have been obtained with the Kuiper Airborne Observatory 0.9 m telescope. The analysis of the data indicates that the peak far-infrared emission from M82 is coincident with a cluster of young stars located to the southwest of the galactic nucleus at a projected distance of 10arcsec (150 pc). On a larger scale, the profiles reveal that the luminous infrared emission from young stars is confined to the interior of a neutral hydrogen and CO ring, 30arcsec (450 pc) in diameter.
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Joy et al. (1987) studied this question.