Seminar

Overview of the dynamics of the Magellanic Clouds

By
Gurtina Besla
Date
Place
Zoom
seminar ICCUB
I will overview our current understanding of the dynamical evolution of the Magellanic Clouds and their interaction with the Milky Way. Proper motion measurements and models of the LMC/SMC system indicate that they have recently collided in a dramatic event that formed a star forming bridge of gas connecting these two dwarf galaxies, with important consequences for the internal structure of these galaxies. Furthermore, the Clouds are most likely on their first passage about the Milky Way, with infall masses ten times larger in mass than previously assumed. This presents new (surmountable) challenges to the study of Near Field Cosmology, wherein local stellar streams, satellite galaxies, globular clusters and stars are used as probes of the dark matter distribution of our Galaxy. In addition, the LMC's impact on the Milk Way's dark matter halo also presents exciting opportunities to test CDM theory in novel ways using all-sky astrometric and photometric surveys.