Major Merger Galaxy Pairs at z=0: Dust Properties and Companion
  Morphology
  We present an analysis of dust properties of a sample of close major-merger
galaxy pairs selected by K_s magnitude and redshift. The pairs represent the
two populations of spiral-spiral (S+S) and mixed morphology spiral-elliptical
(S+E). The CIGALE (Code Investigating GALaxy Emission) is used to fit dust
models to the 2MASS, WISE and Herschel flux density measurements and derive the
parameters describing the PAH contribution, interstellar radiation field (ISRF)
and photo-dissociation regions (PDRs). Model fits verify our previous Spitzer
Space Telescope analysis that S+S and S+E pairs do not have the same level of
enhancement of star formation and differ in dust composition. The spirals of
mixed morphology galaxy pairs do not exhibit the enhancements in interstellar
radiation field and therefore dust temperature for spirals in S+S pairs in
contrast to what would be expected according to standard models of gas
redistribution due to encounter torques. This suggests the importance of the
companion environment/morphology in determining the dust properties of a spiral
galaxy in a close major-merger pair.
