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Conclusion

Most Seyfert galaxies obey the same radio-FIR correlation as that which is followed by starburst galaxies, and which is generally taken to be an indicator of star formation activity. We interpret this to mean that the both the far-infrared and the radio luminosity, and hence the total bolometric luminosity, of most Seyfert galaxies are dominated not by the central AGN, but by starburst activity.

This link between Seyferts and starbursts is not, however, reciprocal, in the sense that starbursts do not often contain hidden AGN cores. Some fraction of ultra-luminous galaxies with starburst spectra do indeed contain hidden AGN, but even at these luminosities there remains some fraction of galaxies which are powered predominantly by starburst activity.