  We report mid-infrared observations of several luminous infrared galaxies
(LIGs) carried out with the Infrared Space Observatory. Our sample was chosen
to represent different phases of a merger sequence of galaxy-galaxy interaction
with special emphasis on early/intermediate stages of merging. The mid-infrared
emission of these LIGs shows extended structures for the early and intermediate
mergers, indicating that most of the mid-infrared luminosities are not from a
central active galactic nucleus (AGN). Both the infrared hardness (indicated by
the IRAS 12, 25, and 60 $\micron$ flux density ratios) and the peak-to-total
flux density ratios of these LIGs increase as projected separation of these
interacting galaxies become smaller, consistent with increasing star formation
activities that are concentrated to a smaller area as the merging process
advances. These observations provide among the first observational constraint
of largely theoretically based scenarios.
