The polar stellar ring and dark halo of NGC 5907

Numerical simulations of the disruption of a dwarf companion moving in the polar plane of a massive galaxy are presented. The constructed model is com pared with observational data on the recently discovered low-surface-bright ness stellar ring around the galaxy NGC 5907. Constraints on the ring lifet ime (less than or equal to 1.5 Gyr after the first approach of the galaxies ), on the structure of the companion-the ring precursor, and on the mass of the dark halo of the main galaxy in whose gravitational field the companio n moves are provided. The dark-halo mass within 50 kpc of the NGC 5907 cent er cannot exceed 3 or 4 "visible" masses. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodi ca".