2009AJ....137.3581I

We report the results of interferometric HCN(1-0) and HCO⁺(1-0) observations of four luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), NGC 2623, Mrk 266, Arp 193, and NGC 1377, as a final sample of our systematic survey using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. Our survey contains the most systematic interferometric, spatially resolved, simultaneous HCN(1-0) and HCO⁺(1-0) observations of LIRGs. Ground-based infrared spectra of these LIRGs are also presented to elucidate the nature of the energy sources at the nuclei. We derive the HCN(1-0)/HCO⁺(1-0) brightness-temperature ratios of these LIRGs and confirm the previously discovered trend that LIRG nuclei with luminous buried active galactic nucleus (AGN) signatures in infrared spectra tend to show high HCN(1-0)/HCO⁺(1-0) brightness-temperature ratios, as seen in AGNs, while starburst-classified LIRG nuclei in infrared spectra display small ratios, as observed in starburst-dominated galaxies. Our new results further support the argument that the HCN(1-0)/HCO⁺(1-0) brightness-temperature ratio can be used to observationally separate AGN-important and starburst-dominant galaxy nuclei.