The GOALS sample consists of a total of 179 LIRGs (log (L_IR/L_sun) = 11.0-11.99) and 22 ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs: log (L_IR/L_sun) > 12.0) selected from the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample; these 201 objects comprise a statistically complete flux-limited sample of infrared-luminous galaxies in the local universe. The GOALS objects have been the subject of an intense multi-wavelength observing campaign, including space-based imaging and spectroscopy from Spitzer and Herschel.
The Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey is a comprehensive infrared imaging and spectroscopic survey of 75 nearby galaxies. Its primary goal is to characterize the infrared emission of galaxies and their principal infrared-emitting components, across a broad range of galaxy properties and star formation environments. SINGS provides new insights into the physical processes connecting star formation to the interstellar medium properties of galaxies and provides a vital foundation for understanding infrared observations of the distant universe and ultraluminous and active galaxies.
