DUST AND INFRARED IMAGING OF POLAR RING GALAXIES

We have derived surface photometry for a sample of five polar ring(PR) galaxies in the optical (B and R bands) and in the near-IR (K band). Our preliminary results show that the morphology of these objects is h eavily perturbed by dust, which sometimes completely hides the real di stribution of the older stellar population. The analysis of the colour profiles and of the integrated colours of the host galaxy and polar r ing in these systems indicates that (1) the ring and the central galax y appear to have different stellar populations, which supports the acc retion/merging scenario for these objects, and (2) although the host g alaxies have an early-type morphology, their integrated colours are cl ose to those of spirals, with a strong blueward colour gradient from t he centre outward.