Polar Ring Galaxies in the Galaxy Zoo

TL;DR

This study reports observations of 16 candidate polar ring galaxies from Galaxy Zoo, analyzing their morphology, colors, and environment to understand their properties and prepare for further kinematic confirmation.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed imaging and analysis of a sample of candidate polar ring galaxies identified via Galaxy Zoo, including deep imaging and initial morphological assessment.

Findings

Derived magnitudes and colors for host and ring components.

Presented continuum-subtracted Hα+[NII] images for seven objects.

Performed morphological and environmental analysis of the galaxies.

Abstract

We report observations of 16 candidate polar ring galaxies (PRGs) identified by the Galaxy Zoo project in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) database. Deep images of five galaxies are available in the SDSS Stripe82 database, while to reach similar depth we observed the remaining galaxies with the 1.8-m Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. We derive integrated magnitudes and u-r colours for the host and ring components and show continuum-subtracted H\alpha+[NII] images for seven objects. We present a basic morphological and environmental analysis of the galaxies and discuss their properties in comparison with other types of early-type galaxies. Follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations will allow a kinematic confirmation of the nature of these systems and a more detailed analysis of their stellar populations.