NGC 3124: A Resonance Ring Disk Galaxy with a Skewed Bar

NGC 3124 is a highly regular SB(r)bc galaxy harboring a skewed bar that appears to be a very open spiral, counter-winding relative to the outer spiral arms. We investigate whether such bar morphology can be due to secular processes or if a more violent interaction is necessary. We find that the dust morphology observed in the bar region has the same sense of winding as the outer spiral arms. We also find that the gas kinematics are consistent across the galaxy. Finally, we attempt to recreate the observed stellar morphology by simulating the behavior of a large number of stellar test particles in a rigidly rotating gravitational potential. We are able to reproduce the skewed stellar bar but find that it is transient in nature. This evidence is a strong indication that secular processes are responsible for this unusual bar morphology.