Formation of the dark-matter deficient S0 galaxy NGC 4111 under the tidal interactions

Abstract

We present the high-sensitivity and large-scale atomic hydrogen (HI) observations towards lenticular (S0) galaxy NGC 4111 using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). The column density map shows that NGC4111 and seven other different types of galaxies share a huge HI gas complex. The data also suggest that NGC 4111 is interacting with seven galaxies. Moreover, we identified a rotating gas disk associated with NGC 4111 from the HI complex. Still, the HI disk rotation direction has deviated from its stellar disk about 34.2$^{\circ}$, indicating that the NGC 4111 galaxy is undergoing a transition from a spiral galaxy to an S0 galaxy by the tidal interactions. The obtained dark matter-to-stellar mass ratio of NGC4111 is 3.1$\pm$0.7, which is lower than the average value of the Local Universe, implying that the interactions may strip its dark matter. Our results suggest that in a galaxy group environment, tidal interactions have a significant effect on galaxy features.