Christian Bruens (Radio Astronomisches Institut der Universitat Bonn)

HI in the Magellanic System - new insights to the physical state and the evolution of the interacting galaxies - Christian Bruens Colloquium

ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

The Magellanic Clouds form a spectacular set of interacting galaxies
with tidal arms covering a significant part of the southern sky. The
entire Magellanic System was mapped using the Parkes narrow-band
multi-beam facility, comprising full angular sampling and high velocity
resolution.
This talk gives a summary of the results of this survey, including the
unambiguous evidence that the HI distribution in the LMC is strongly
disturbed. The Parkes data also demonstrate that the morphology of the
HI gas in the Magellanic Stream and the Leading Arm are significantly
different. Follow-up observations with the ATCA clarify these results.
The HI clouds in the tidal arms comprise dense condensations in all
observed fields. The condensations in the Leading Arm are very cold (T <
100 K) while those in the Magellanic Stream are much warmer and/or more
turbulent.
The assumption of stability of these HI clouds yields new insights to
the medium in the near intergalactic space.