High-resolution N-body Simulations of Galactic Cannibalism: The Magellanic Stream

Abstract

Hierarchical clustering represents the favoured paradigm for galaxy formation throughout the Universe; due to its proximity, the Magellanic system offers one of the few opportunities for astrophysicists to decompose the full six-dimensional phase-space history of a satellite in the midst of being cannibalised by its host galaxy. The availability of improved observational data for the Magellanic Stream and parallel advances in computational power has led us to revisit the canonical tidal model describing the disruption of the Small Magellanic Cloud and the consequent formation of the Stream. We suggest improvements to the tidal model in light of these recent advances.

6 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX (gcdv.sty). Refereed contribution to the 5th Galactic Chemodynamics conference held in Swinburne, July 2003. Accepted for publication in PASA. Version with high resolution figures available at http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/publications.html

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Are the Magellanic Clouds on their First Passage about the Milky Way?
• The Origin of the Magellanic Stream and Its Leading Arm
• Proper Motions of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope Imaging. IV: Measurement for Sculptor
• A search for star clusters in the outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud: indication of clusters in the age gap
• Are external perturbations responsible for chaotic motion in galaxies?
• A Galactic Transformation -- Understanding the SMC's Structural and Kinematic Disequilibrium