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Optical, far-IR, and radio observations of global properties are presented for a sample of strongly interacting disk-type galaxies. Global star formation rates (SFRs) for the galaxies span a large range and are, on average, a factor of 2.5 higher than similarly determined global SFRs for isolated spiral galaxies. New star formation occurs preferentially in or near the nuclear regions. H I 21 cm emission-line profiles indicate the presence of anomalous velocity material and chaotic patterns of gas motion in many interacting systems. Few systems show evidence for the presence of a well-organized rotating H I disk such as are seen in isolated spiral galaxies. Neutral hydrogen gas mass-to-blue luminosity ratios are not atypical when compared with isolated spirals. The evidence indicates that local rather than global properties of these galaxies govern the star-formation process. The observations generally support the notion that enhanced SFRs are caused by increased cloud collision rates and dissipative flows of gas to the nucleus.
H. Bushouse (1987) studied this question.