  NGC 3310 is a local galaxy with an intense, ongoing starburst thought to
result from a merger with a companion galaxy. It has several known tidal
features in the northwest and southern regions around the main galactic disc,
as well as a closed, tidal loop emerging from the eastern side of the disc and
rejoining in the north. This loop appears to be distinct from the rest of the
shells surrounding NGC3310 and is the first of its kind to be detected in a
starburst galaxy. In this work, we present UBVR photometry to faint surface
brightness levels of this debris network, and we explore various strategies for
modelling NGC 3310's disc and subtracting its contribution from each region of
debris. We then compare these photometric results with the GALEV spectral
synthesis models, and find possible material from the intruder galaxy,
suggesting that the recent accretion of several small galaxies is driving the
evolution of NGC 3310.

Astrophysics