Beyond the rings: Polar ring galaxy NGC 4262 and its globular cluster system

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the context of the hierarchical model of galaxy evolution, polar ring galaxies (PRGs) are considered the intermediate phase between ongoing mergers and quiescent galaxies. This study explores the globular cluster system (GCS) and its properties in the nearest PRG, NGC4262, serving as a pilot investigation to study GCS in nearby PRGs. We utilize wide and deep-field observations of the CFHT as part of the NGVS to investigate the GCS of NGC4262. We presented the first optical image of NGC4262 with an optically faint ring component. The photometric analysis of the GCS displays a distinct colour bimodality. We estimate the total number of GCs for NGC4262 to be 266 $\pm$ 16 GCs with a specific frequency of 4.2 $\pm$ 0.8 and a specific mass of 0.23 $\pm$ 0.01, which is relatively high compared to other galaxies of similar mass and environmental conditions. The spatial and azimuthal distributions of subpopulations reveal strong evidence of previous interactions within the host galaxy. The colour distribution of GCS in NGC4262 shows a gradient of –0.05 $\pm$ 0.01 within 5.5$^\prime$, supporting the notion of past interactions and evolutionary transitions. PRG NGC4262 conforms to the overall trend of the GCS mass with respect to the halo mass. Furthermore, our investigation of the global scaling relations between GCS and host galaxy parameters provides further support for the hypothesis that PRGs are an intermediate phase connecting ongoing mergers and quiescent galaxies.