  We have obtained adaptive optics, high spatial resolution (0.15 arcsecond)
K-band spectra and images of the region around the two active nuclei in NGC
6240 which show the presence of circumnuclear shocks. The data are consistent
with the thermal excitation mechanism being the dominant one in the nuclear
region. UV fluorescence and associative detachment may also contribute to the
fraction of the energy emitted through molecular hydrogen transitions. The
near-IR continuum emission appears closely associated with the two active
nuclei. The morphological similarities between the near-IR images and the
Chandra X-ray images indicate the same mechanisms may be responsible for the
emission in near-IR and X-ray band.
