TY - JOUR
T1 - The Magellanic Inter-Cloud Project (MAGIC) III
T2 - first spectroscopic evidence of a dwarf stripping a dwarf
AU - Carrera, Ricardo
AU - Conn, Blair C.
AU - Noel, Noelia E. D.
AU - Read, Justin I.
AU - Sanchez, Angel R. Lopez
PY - 2017/11
Y1 - 2017/11
N2 - The Magellanic Bridge (MB) is a gaseous stream that links the Large (LMC) and Small (SMC) Magellanic Clouds. Current simulations suggest that the MB forms from a recent interaction between the Clouds. In this scenario, the MB should also have an associated stellar bridge formed by stars tidally stripped from the SMC by the LMC. There are several observational evidences for these stripped stars, from the presence of intermediate age populations in the MB and carbon stars, to the recent observation of an over-density of RR Lyrae stars offset from the MB. However, spectroscopic confirmation of stripped stars in the MB remains lacking. In this paper, we use medium resolution spectra to derive the radial velocities and metallicities of stars in two fields along the MB. We show from both their chemistry and kinematics that the bulk of these stars must have been tidally stripped from the SMC. This is the first spectroscopic evidence for a dwarf galaxy being tidally stripped by a larger dwarf.
AB - The Magellanic Bridge (MB) is a gaseous stream that links the Large (LMC) and Small (SMC) Magellanic Clouds. Current simulations suggest that the MB forms from a recent interaction between the Clouds. In this scenario, the MB should also have an associated stellar bridge formed by stars tidally stripped from the SMC by the LMC. There are several observational evidences for these stripped stars, from the presence of intermediate age populations in the MB and carbon stars, to the recent observation of an over-density of RR Lyrae stars offset from the MB. However, spectroscopic confirmation of stripped stars in the MB remains lacking. In this paper, we use medium resolution spectra to derive the radial velocities and metallicities of stars in two fields along the MB. We show from both their chemistry and kinematics that the bulk of these stars must have been tidally stripped from the SMC. This is the first spectroscopic evidence for a dwarf galaxy being tidally stripped by a larger dwarf.
KW - galaxies: interactions
KW - Local Group
KW - Magellanic Clouds
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047437095&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stx1932
DO - 10.1093/mnras/stx1932
M3 - Article
VL - 471
SP - 4571
EP - 4578
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
SN - 1745-3925
IS - 4
ER -