2016MNRAS.462.3800D

We investigate three barred lenticular galaxies (NGC 2681, NGC 3945 and NGC 4371), which were previously reported to have complex central structures but without a detailed structural analysis of these galaxies' high-resolution data. We have therefore performed four- to six-component (pseudo-)bulge/disc/bar/ring/point source) decompositions of the composite (Hubble Space Telescope plus ground-based) surface brightness profiles. We find that NGC 2681 hosts three bars, while NGC 3945 and NGC 4371 are double- and single-barred galaxies, respectively, in agreement with past isophotal analysis. We find that the bulges in these galaxies are compact, and have Sersic indices of n ∼ 2.2-3.6 and stellar masses of M_* ∼ 0.28 x 10¹⁰-1.1 x 10¹⁰ M_☉. NGC 3945 and NGC 4371 have intermediate-scale 'pseudo-bulges' that are well described by a Sersic model with low n <= 0.5 instead of an exponential (n = 1) profile as done in the past. We measure emission line fluxes enclosed within nine different elliptical apertures, finding that NGC 2681 has a low-ionization nuclear emission region (LINER)-type emission inside R ∼ 3 arcsec, but the emission line due to star formation is significant when aperture size is increased. In contrast, NGC 3945 and NGC 4371 have composite (active galactic nucleus plus star-forming)- and LINER-type emissions inside and outside R ∼ 2 arcsec, respectively. Our findings suggest that the three galaxies have experienced a complex evolutionary path. The bulges appear to be consequences of an earlier violent merging event while subsequent disc formation via gas accretion and bar-driven perturbations may account for the build-up of pseudo-bulges, bars, rings and point sources.