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We report, as a part of a long-term study of infrared (IR) mergers and IR quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), detailed spectroscopic evidence for outflow (OF) and Wolf-Rayet (WR) features in the nearby mergers NGC 4038/39 and IRAS 23128−5919 (with low-velocity OF); and the nearby QSOs IRAS 01003−2238 and 13218+0552 (with extreme velocity OF, EVOF). We also study the presence of EVOF in a complete sample of ultraluminous IR galaxies and QSOs ('The IRAS 1-Jy Survey', 118 objects). We found EVOF in IRAS 11119+3257, 14394+5332, 15130−1958 and 15462−0450.The low-velocity OF components were detected mainly in objects with starburst processes, i.e. OF associated with galactic winds generated in multiple type II supernova (SN) explosions and massive stars. Meanwhile the EVOF were detected mainly in objects with strong starburst plus obscured IR QSOs; which suggests that the coexistence of both processes could generate EVOF.Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of IR+BAL+Fe II QSOs show in practically all of these objects 'arc or shell' features probably associated with galactic winds [i.e. with multiple type II SN explosions or with starburst+active galactic nuclei (AGN)] or merger processes.In addition, we analyse the presence of Wolf-Rayet features in part of the large sample of bright PG-QSOs. We found possible WR features in the Fe II PG-QSOs PG 1244+026, 1444+407, 1448+273 and 1535+547.The results are discussed mainly within the framework of the composite scenario: starburst+AGN. We analyse the presence of extreme starburst and galactic winds as a possible link between IR mergers and IR QSOs. Finally, we discuss the probable role of mergers, extreme starburst and galactic winds processes in BAL-QSOs and galaxies in formation.

We report detailed evidence for: multiple merger, extended massive star formation, galactic-wind and circular/non-circular motions in the luminous infrared galaxy NGC 3256. Based on observation of high resolution imaging (obtained at HST and ESO-NTT), and extensive kinematical/spectroscopic data (more than 1000 spectra, collected at Bosque Alegre, CASLEO, CTIO and IUE Observatories).We find in a detailed morphological study (at ∼15 pc resolution) that the extended massive star formation process, detected previously in NGC 3256shows: (i) extended triple asymmetrical spiral arms structure (r ∼ 5 kpc); and (ii) the spiral arms emanate from three different nuclei. The main optical nucleus shows a small spiral-disk (r ∼ 500 pc) which is a continuation of the external one and reach the very nucleus. And this very nucleus shows blue elongate structure (63 pc × 30 pc), and luminous blue star cluster properties.We discuss this complex morphology, in the framework of an extended massive star formation driven by multiple merger process (Hernquist et al., Taniguchi et al.'s models).We study the kinematics of this system and present a detailed Hα velocity field for the central region (40 ′′ ×40 ′′ ; r max ∼30 ′′ ∼5 kpc); with a spatial resolution of 1 ′′ , and errors of ±15 km s −1 . The color and isovelocity maps show mainly: (i) a clear kinematical center of circular motion with "spider" shape and located between the main optical nucleus and the close (5 ′′ ) mid-IR knot/nucleus; (ii) non-circular motions in the external parts. In the main optical nucleus we found a clear "outflow component" associated to galactic-winds and a "inflow radial motion" (in the spiral-disk nuclear structure, r ∼700 pc). In addition, we detected the outflow component in the central and external regions