UGC 10043 in Depth: Dissecting the Polar Bulge and Subtle LSB Features

TL;DR

This study provides a detailed analysis of UGC 10043, revealing its polar structures, low surface brightness features, and signs of tidal interactions, shedding light on its complex formation history.

Contribution

The paper offers the first deep optical photometry of UGC 10043 down to 29.5 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ and identifies new polar and tidal features, advancing understanding of galaxy interactions and polar structure formation.

Findings

Detection of a stellar stream along the polar axis.

Identification of a flat, tilted LSB envelope linked to a neighboring galaxy.

Evidence of ongoing tidal disruption and interaction with MCG +04-37-035.

Abstract

Galaxies with polar structures -- of which polar-ring galaxies (PRGs) are a prominent subclass -- contain components that are kinematically decoupled and highly inclined relative to the host galaxy's major axis. Modern deep optical surveys provide a powerful means of detecting low surface brightness (LSB) features around galaxies, offering critical insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies with polar structures. UGC 10043 is an edge-on galaxy notable for its prominent bulge, which extends orthogonally to the disk plane. In addition, the galaxy displays a well-defined integral-shaped disk warp and multiple dust features crossing the bulge along the minor galaxy axis. In this work, we present new deep optical photometry of UGC 10043 down to 29.5 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ and perform a detailed analysis of its LSB and polar structures. The observations reveal a stellar stream aligned along the polar axis, alongside other signatures of tidal interaction, including a flat, tilted LSB envelope that extends toward the neighboring galaxy MCG +04-37-035, with which UGC 10043 is connected by an HI bridge. Our results suggest that the polar component of UGC 10043 comprises and older, triaxial polar bulge and a younger, forming polar structure, likely originating from the ongoing disruption of a dwarf satellite galaxy, while also participating in active interaction with MCG +04-37-035.