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ABSTRACT In this paper, we analyse the metallicity structure of the Magellanic Clouds using parameters derived from the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) low-resolution XP (for Blue/Red Photometer) spectra, astrometry, and photometry. We find that the qualitative behaviour of the radial metallicity gradients in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) is quite similar, with both of them having a metallicity plateau at intermediate radii and a second at larger radii. The LMC has a first metallicity plateau at [M/H] ≈ −0.8 for 3–7°, while the SMC has one at [M/H] ≈ −1.1 for 3–5°. The outer LMC periphery has a fairly constant metallicity of [M/H] ≈ −1.0 (10–18°), while the outer SMC periphery has a value of [M/H] ≈ −1.3 (6–10°). The sharp drop in metallicity in the LMC at ∼8° and the marked difference in age distributions in these two regions suggest that there were two important evolutionary phases in the LMC. In addition, we find that the Magellanic periphery substructures, likely Magellanic debris, are mostly dominated by LMC material stripped off in old interactions with the SMC. This presents a new picture in contrast with the popular belief that the debris around the clouds had been mostly stripped off from the SMC due to having a lower mass. We perform a detailed analysis for each known substructure and identify its potential origin based on metallicities and motions with respect to each galaxy.
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Detection of 7Be ii in the Small Magellanic Cloud
ABSTRACT We analyse high-resolution spectra of two classical novae that exploded in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). 7Be ii resonance transitions are detected in both ASASSN-19qv and ASASSN-20ni novae. This is the first detection outside the Galaxy and confirms that thermo-nuclear runaway reactions, leading to the 7Be formation, are effective also in the low-metallicity regime, characteristic of the SMC. Derived yields are of N(7Be = 7Li)/N(H) = (5.3 ± 0.2) × 10−6 which are a factor 4 lower than the typical values of the Galaxy. Inspection of two historical novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud observed with IUE in 1991 and 1992 showed also the possible presence of 7Be and similar yields. For an ejecta of MH, ej = 10−5 M⊙, the amount of 7Li produced is of $$M_{^7 Li} = (3.7 \pm 0.6) \times 10^{-10}$$ M⊙ per nova event. Detailed chemical evolutionary model for the SMC shows that novae could have made an amount of lithium in the SMC corresponding to a fractional abundance of A(Li) ≈ 2.6. Therefore, it is argued that a comparison with the abundance of Li in the SMC, as measured by its interstellar medium, could effectively constrain the amount of the initial abundance of primordial Li, which is currently controversial.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1751874
- PAR ID:
- 10361874
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 510
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 5302-5314
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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