UVIT observations of the star-forming ring in NGC 7252: Evidence of possible AGN feedback suppressing central star formation

Context. Some post-merger galaxies are known to undergo a starburst phase that quickly depletes the gas reservoir and turns it into a red-sequence galaxy, though the details are still unclear. Aims. Here we explore the pattern of recent star formation in the central region of the post-merger galaxy NGC7252 using highresolution ultraviolet (UV) images from the UVIT on ASTROSAT. Methods. The UVIT images with 1.2 and 1.4 arcsec resolution in the FUV and NUV are used to construct a FUV-NUV colour map of the central region. Results. The FUV-NUV pixel colour map for this canonical post-merger galaxy reveals a blue circumnuclear ring of diameter similar to 10" (3.2 kpc) with bluer patches located over the ring. Based on a comparison to single stellar population models, we show that the ring is comprised of stellar populations with ages less than or similar to 300 Myr, with embedded star-forming clumps of younger age (less than or similar to 150Myr). Conclusions. The suppressed star formation in the central region, along with the recent finding of a large amount of ionised gas, leads us to speculate that this ring may be connected to past feedback from a central super-massive black hole that has ionised the hydrogen gas in the central similar to 4" similar to 1.3 kpc.