  We present 1.4 GHz HI absorption line observations towards the starburst in
NGC2146, made with the VLA and MERLIN. The HI gas has a rotating disk/ring
structure with column densities between 6 and 18 x 10(21) atoms cm(-2). The HI
absorption has a uniform spatial and velocity distribution, and does not reveal
any anomalous material concentration or velocity in the central region of the
galaxy which might indicate an encounter with another galaxy or a far-evolved
merger. We conclude that the signs of an encounter causing the starburst should
be searched for in the outer regions of the galaxy.
