ItemArticle

Connecting the dots: Tracing the evolutionary pathway of polar ring galaxies in the cases of NGC 3718, NGC 2685, and NGC 4262

Title
Connecting the dots: Tracing the evolutionary pathway of polar ring galaxies in the cases of NGC 3718, NGC 2685, and NGC 4262
Creator
Akhil, Krishna R.; Kartha, Sreeja S.; Krishnan, Ujjwal; Mathew, Blesson; Robin, Thomas; Ray, Shankar; Devaraj, Ashish
Description
Polar ring galaxies (PRGs) are a unique class of galaxies characterised by a ring of gas and stars orbiting nearly orthogonal to the main body. This study delves into the evolutionary trajectory of PRGs using the exemplary trio of NGC 3718, NGC 2685, and NGC 4262. We investigate the distinct features of PRGs by analysing their ring and host components to reveal their unique characteristics through spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. Using CIGALE, we performed SED fitting to independently analyse the ring and host spatially resolved regions, marking the first decomposed SED analysis for PRGs, which examines stellar populations using high-resolution observations from AstroSat UVIT at a resolved scale. The UV-optical surface profiles provide an initial idea that distinct patterns in the galaxies, with differences in FUV and NUV, suggest three distinct stages of ring evolution in the selected galaxies. The study of resolved-scale stellar regions reveals that the ring regions are generally younger than their host galaxies, with the age disparity progressively decreasing along the evolutionary sequence from NGC 3718 to NGC 4262. Star formation rates (SFR) also exhibit a consistent pattern, with higher SFR in the ring of NGC 3718 compared to the others, and a progressive decrease through NGC 2685 and NGC 4262. Finally, the representation of the galaxies in the HI gas fraction versus the NUV- plane supports the idea that they are in three different evolutionary stages of PRG evolution, with NGC 3718 in the initial stage, NGC 2685 in the intermediate stage, and NGC 4262 representing the final stage. This study concludes that PRGs undergo various evolutionary stages, as evidenced by the observed features in the ring and host components. NGC 3718, NGC 2685, and NGC 4262 represent different stages of this evolution, highlighting the dynamic nature of PRGs and emphasising the importance of studying their evolutionary processes to gain insights into galactic formation and evolution. The Author(s), 2025.
Source
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia;Volume;42;Issue;;Article No.;e056;
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Subject
Galaxies: evolution; galaxies: peculiar; galaxies: photometry; galaxies: star clusters: general; galaxies: star formation; galaxies: structure; ultraviolet: galaxies
Coverage
Akhil K.R., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Kartha S.S., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Krishnan U., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Mathew B., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Robin T., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Ray S., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India; Devaraj A., Department of Physics and Electronics, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India
Rights
All Open Access; Green Open Access; Hybrid Gold Open Access
Relation
ISSN: 13233580;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Akhil, Krishna R.; Kartha, Sreeja S.; Krishnan, Ujjwal; Mathew, Blesson; Robin, Thomas; Ray, Shankar; Devaraj, Ashish, “Connecting the dots: Tracing the evolutionary pathway of polar ring galaxies in the cases of NGC 3718, NGC 2685, and NGC 4262,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 19, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22486.

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