The interstellar medium is a key ingredient that governs star formation in galaxies. We present a detailed study of the infrared (∼ 1 − 500 µm) spectral energy distributions of a large sample of 193 nearby (z 0.088) luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) covering a wide range of evolutionary stages along the merger sequence. The entire sample has been observed uniformly by 2MASS, WISE, Spitzer, and Herschel. We perform multi-component decomposition of the spectra to derive physical parameters of the interstellar medium, including the intensity of the interstellar radiation field and the mass and luminosity of the dust. We also constrain the presence and strength of nuclear dust heated by active galactic nuclei. The radiation field of LIRGs tends to have much higher intensity than in quiescent galaxies, and it increases toward advanced merger stages as a result of central concentration of the interstellar medium and star formation. The total gas mass is derived from the dust mass and the galaxy stellar mass. We find that the gas fraction of LIRGs is on average ∼0.3 dex higher than that of main-sequence star-forming galaxies, rising moderately toward advanced merger stages. All LIRGs have star formation rates that place them above the galaxy star formation main sequence. Consistent with recent observations and numerical simulations, the global star formation efficiency of the sample spans a wide range, filling the gap between normal star-forming galaxies and extreme starburst systems.

Black hole accretion is widely thought to influence star formation in galaxies, but the empirical evidence for a physical correlation between star formation rate (SFR) and the properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remain highly controversial. We take advantage of a recently developed SFR estimator based on the [O ii] λ3727 and [O iii] λ5007 emission lines to investigate the SFRs of the host galaxies of more than 5800 type-1 and 7600 type-2 AGNs with z < 0.35. After matching in luminosity and redshift, we find that type-1 and type-2 AGNs have a similar distribution of internal reddening, which is significant and corresponds to ∼109 M ⊙ of cold molecular gas. In spite of their comparable gas content, type-2 AGNs, independent of stellar mass, Eddington ratio, redshift or molecular gas mass, exhibit intrinsically stronger star formation activity than type-1 AGNs, in apparent disagreement with the conventional AGN unified model. We observe a tight, linear relation between AGN luminosity (accretion rate) and SFR, one that becomes more significant toward smaller physical scales, suggesting that the link between the AGN and star formation occurs in the central kpc-scale region. This, along with a correlation between SFR and Eddington ratio in the regime of super-Eddington accretion, can be interpreted as evidence that star formation is impacted by positive feedback from the AGN.

According to the unified model of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), a putative dusty torus plays an important role in determining their external appearance. However, very limited information is known about the physical properties of the torus. We perform detailed decomposition of the infrared (1 − 500 µm) spectral energy distribution of 76 z < 0.5 Palomar-Green quasars, combining photometric data from 2MASS, WISE, and Herschel with Spitzer spectroscopy. Our fits favor recent torus spectral models that properly treat the different sublimation temperatures of silicates and graphite and consider a polar wind component. The AGN-heated dust emission from the torus contributes a significant fraction (∼ 70%) of the total infrared (1 − 1000 µm) luminosity. The torus luminosity correlates well with the strength of the ultraviolet/optical continuum and the broad Hβ emission line, indicating a close link between the central ionization source and re-radiation by the torus. Consistent with the unified model, most quasars have tori that are only mildly inclined along the line-of-sight. The half-opening angle of the torus, a measure of its covering factor, declines with increasing accretion rate until the Eddington ratio reaches ∼ 0.5, above which the trend reverses. This behavior likely results from the change of the geometry of the accretion flow, from a standard geometrically thin disk at moderate accretion rates to a slim disk at high accretion rates.