  Near infrared spectra with resolution R ~ 1100 in the rest wavelength range
1.8-2.2 microns have been obtained for a complete sample of 33 ultraluminous
infrared galaxies. Of the 33 objects observed, 2 show evidence of a central AGN
through either a broad Paschen-alpha line or emission in the 1.963 micron fine
structure of [Si VI]. In the median spectrum of the remaining 31 objects, the
lines present are recombination lines of Hydrogen, neutral Helium,
vibration-rotation lines of H_2, and [Fe II]. There is no indication of AGN
activity in the median spectrum, either through broad atomic recombination
lines or high ionization lines. No trends in luminosity are apparent when
subsets of the 31 non-AGN ULIRGs are binned by luminosity and median combined.
When secondary nuclei exist in ULIRGs, they typically have spectra very much
like those seen in the primary nuclei.

Astrophysics