1996A&A...314..721S

We present a detailed photometric analysis of the nearby cooling flow elliptical galaxy NGC 7562 observed in the Johnson V and Cousins R and I filters. We derive surface brightness, color-index, ellipticity, and position-angle profiles, as well as geometrical parameters which characterise deviations of isophotes from perfect elliptical shapes. The galaxy is found to have inner boxy and outer pointy isophotes. We report the detection of a dust patch in the nuclear region of the galaxy as revealed from color-index maps and argue that some of the inner boxiness may be due to the presence of dust. We examine the residual image obtained by subtracting a smooth elliptical model galaxy from the original image and report the detection of arc-like brightness enhancements which appear as shells or ripples in the outer regions of the galaxy. This structure could be responsible for the outer pointy isophotes, as the presence of a faint outer disk in the galaxy has been ruled out on kinematic grounds. We briefly discuss the possible origin of the dust and shells in the galaxy.