A counterrotating central component in the barred galaxy NGC 5728

We present a detailed study of the stellar kinematics in the barred galaxy NGC 5728 based on I-band photometry and long-slit spectroscopic observation s in the region of the near-IR Ca II triplet. The analysis of the stellar l ine-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD) has revealed, in the central reg ions of the bar, the presence of a cold (upsilon/sigma similar to 2.5), pro grade, S-shaped velocity component that coexists in the central 4 kpc, with a fainter and hotter (upsilon/sigma similar to 0.5) counterrotating compon ent. Beyond 4 kpc from the nucleus, the LOSVD shows the stellar bar kinemat ics. The comparison of the radial surface brightness profile of the velocit y components with that obtained from an I-band image shows that the counter rotating core follows a r(1/4) profile, while the S-shaped component does n ot follow the hat-bar surface brightness profile. Several possible scenario s accounting for such kinematic signatures found in the center of the bar i n NGC 5728 are discussed. The data presented in this paper show for the fir st time the presence of extended retrograde motions in barred systems that, together with previous discoveries, seem to indicate that the stellar coun terrotation is a phenomenon present all along the Hubble sequence.