What drives the wheels of evolution in NGC 1512?: A UVIT study

Abstract

Context. Environmental and secular processes play a pivotal role in the evolution of galaxies. These can be external processes such as interactions or internal processes linked to the action of bar, bulge, and spiral structures. Ongoing star formation in spiral galaxies can be affected by these processes. By studying the star formation progression in the galaxy, we can gain insights into the role of different processes that regulate the overall evolution of a galaxy. Aims. The ongoing interaction between the barred-spiral galaxy NGC 1512 and its satellite NGC 1510 offers an opportunity to inves- tigate how galactic interactions and the presence of a galactic bar influence the evolution of NGC 1512. We aim to understand the recent star formation activity in the galaxy pair and thus gain insight into the evolution of NGC 1512. Methods. The UltraViolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on board AstroSat enables us to characterise the star-forming regions in the galaxy with a superior spatial resolution of ∼85 pc in the galaxy rest frame. We identified and characterised 175 star-forming regions in the UVIT far-ultraviolet (FUV) image of NGC 1512 and correlated with the neutral hydrogen (Hi) distribution. Extinction correc- tion was applied to the estimated photometric magnitude. We traced the star-forming spiral arms of the galaxy and studied the star formation properties across the galaxy in detail. Results. We detect localised regions of star-formation enhancement and distortions in the galactic disc. We find this to be consistent with the distribution of Hi in the galaxy. This is evidence of past and ongoing interactions affecting the star formation properties of the galaxy. We studied the properties of the inner ring. We find that the regions of the inner ring show maximum star-formation-rate density (log(SFRDmean[M yr−1 kpc−2]) ∼ −1.7) near the major axis of the bar, hinting at a possible crowding effect in these regions. The region of the bar in the galaxy is also depleted of UV emission. This absence suggests that the galactic bar may have played an active role in the redistribution of gas and quenching of star formation inside the identified bar region. We therefore suggest that both secular and environmental factors might be influencing the evolution of NGC 1512.