  Regions that currently are or have been subject to a strong process of star
formation are good candidates to be intense gamma-ray and neutrino emitters.
They may even perhaps be sites where ultra high energy cosmic rays are
produced. Outside the Galaxy, the more powerful sites of star formation are
found within very active galaxies such as starbursts (SGs) and Luminous or
Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs or ULIRGs). Some general characteristic
of these objects are herein reviewed from the point of view of their possible
status as high energy emitters. Revised estimations of the high energy
gamma-ray yield of Arp 220 are presented.
