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1. Observations of a Magellanic Corona

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05090-5  

   Krishnarao, Dhanesh; Fox, Andrew J.; D’Onghia, Elena; Wakker, Bart P.; Cashman, Frances H.; Howk, J. Christopher; Lucchini, Scott; French, David M.; Lehner, Nicolas (September 2022, Nature)

   Abstract The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are the closest massive satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. They are probably on their first passage on an infalling orbit towards our Galaxy 1 and trace the continuing dynamics of the Local Group 2 . Recent measurements of a high mass for the LMC ( M halo  ≈ 10 11.1–11.4   M ⊙ ) 3–6 imply that the LMC should host a Magellanic Corona: a collisionally ionized, warm-hot gaseous halo at the virial temperature (10 5.3–5.5  K) initially extending out to the virial radius (100–130 kiloparsecs (kpc)). Such a corona would have shaped the formation of the Magellanic Stream 7 , a tidal gas structure extending over 200° across the sky 2,8,9 that is bringing in metal-poor gas to the Milky Way 10 . Here we show evidence for this Magellanic Corona with a potential direct detection in highly ionized oxygen (O +5 ) and indirectly by means of triply ionized carbon and silicon, seen in ultraviolet (UV) absorption towards background quasars. We find that the Magellanic Corona is part of a pervasive multiphase Magellanic circumgalactic medium (CGM) seen in many ionization states with a declining projected radial profile out to at least 35 kpc from the LMC and a total ionized CGM mass of log 10 ( M H II,CGM / M ⊙ ) ≈ 9.1 ± 0.2. The evidence for the Magellanic Corona is a crucial step forward in characterizing the Magellanic group and its nested evolution with the Local Group. 

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2. METAL: The Metal Evolution, Transport, and Abundance in the Large Magellanic Cloud Hubble Program. III. Interstellar Depletions, Dust-to-Metal, and Dust-to-Gas Ratios versus Metallicity

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac5248  

   Roman-Duval, Julia; Jenkins, Edward B.; Tchernyshyov, Kirill; Clark, Christopher J.; De Cia, Annalisa; Gordon, Karl D.; Hamanowicz, Aleksandra; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Rafelski, Marc; Sandstrom, Karin; et al (March 2022, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract The metallicity and gas density dependence of interstellar depletions, the dust-to-gas (D/G), and dust-to-metal (D/M) ratios have important implications for how accurately we can trace the chemical enrichment of the universe, either by using FIR dust emission as a tracer of the ISM or by using spectroscopy of damped Ly α systems to measure chemical abundances over a wide range of redshifts. We collect and compare large samples of depletion measurements in the Milky Way (MW), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) ( Z = 0.5 Z ⊙ ), and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) ( Z = 0.2 Z ⊙ ). The relations between the depletions of different elements do not strongly vary between the three galaxies, implying that abundance ratios should trace depletions accurately down to 20% solar metallicity. From the depletions, we derive D/G and D/M. The D/G increases with density, consistent with the more efficient accretion of gas-phase metals onto dust grains in the denser ISM. For log N (H) > 21 cm −2 , the depletion of metallicity tracers (S, Zn) exceeds −0.5 dex, even at 20% solar metallicity. The gas fraction of metals increases from the MW to the LMC (factor 3) and SMC (factor 6), compensating for the reduction in total heavy element abundances and resulting in those three galaxies having the same neutral gas-phase metallicities. The D/G derived from depletions are respective factors of 2 (LMC) and 5 (SMC) higher than the D/G derived from FIR, 21 cm, and CO emission, likely due to the combined uncertainties on the dust FIR opacity and on the depletion of carbon and oxygen. 

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3. A search for 3-mm molecular absorption line transitions in the magellanic stream

   https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2024.95  

   Steffes, Lucille; Rybarczyk, Daniel R; Stanimirović, Snežana; Dawson, J R; Putman, Mary; Richter, Philipp; Gallagher, John; Liszt, Harvey; Murray, Claire; Dickey, John Miller; et al (January 2024, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia)

   The Magellanic Stream (MS), a tail of diffuse gas formed from tidal and ram pressure interactions between the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC) and the Halo of the Milky Way, is primarily composed of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI). The deficiency of dust and the diffuse nature of the present gas make molecular formation rare and difficult, but if present, could lead to regions potentially suitable for star formation, thereby allowing us to probe conditions of star formation similar to those at high redshifts. We search for HCO+ ,HCN,HNC,andC2H using the highest sensitivity observations of molecular absorption data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to trace these regions, comparing with HI archival data from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (GALFA) HI Survey and the Galactic All Sky Survey (GASS) to compare these environments in the MS to the HI column density threshold for molecular formation in the Milky Way. We also compare the line of sight locations with confirmed locations of stars, molecular hydrogen, and OI detections, though at higher sensitivities than the observations presented here. 

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4. The Circumgalactic Medium of Extreme Emission Line Galaxies at z∼2: Resolved Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer Modeling of Spatially Extended Lyα Emission in the KBSS-KCWI Survey*

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acd849  

   Erb, Dawn K.; Li, Zhihui; Steidel, Charles C.; Chen, Yuguang; Gronke, Max; Strom, Allison L.; Trainor, Ryan F.; Rudie, Gwen C. (August 2023, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract The resonantly scattered Ly α line illuminates the extended halos of neutral hydrogen in the circumgalactic medium of galaxies. We present integral field Keck Cosmic Web Imager observations of double-peaked, spatially extended Ly α emission in 12 relatively low-mass ( M ⋆ ∼ 10 9 M ⊙ ) z ∼ 2 galaxies characterized by extreme nebular emission lines. Using individual spaxels and small bins as well as radially binned profiles of larger regions, we find that for most objects in the sample the Ly α blue-to-red peak ratio increases, the peak separation decreases, and the fraction of flux emerging at line center increases with radius. We use new radiative transfer simulations to model each galaxy with a clumpy, multiphase outflow with radially varying outflow velocity, and self-consistently apply the same velocity model to the low-ionization interstellar absorption lines. These models reproduce the trends of peak ratio, peak separation, and trough depth with radius, and broadly reconcile outflow velocities inferred from Ly α and absorption lines. The galaxies in our sample are well-described by a model in which neutral, outflowing clumps are embedded in a hotter, more highly ionized inter-clump medium (ICM), whose residual neutral content produces absorption at the systemic redshift. The peak ratio, peak separation, and trough flux fraction are primarily governed by the line-of-sight component of the outflow velocity, the H i column density, and the residual neutral density in the ICM respectively. The azimuthal asymmetries in the line profile further suggest nonradial gas motions at large radii and variations in the H i column density in the outer halos. 

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5. A Neutral Hydrogen Absorption Study of Cold Gas in the Outskirts of the Magellanic Clouds Using the GASKAP-H i Survey

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/adc67c  

   Chen, Hongxing; Stanimirović, Snežana; Pingel, Nickolas M; Dempsey, James; Buckland-Willis, Frances; Clark, Susan E; Dénes, Helga; Dickey, John M; Gibson, Steven; Jameson, Katherine; et al (April 2025, The Astronomical Journal)

   Abstract Cold neutral hydrogen (Hi) is a crucial precursor for molecular gas formation and can be studied via Hiabsorption. This study investigates Hiabsorption in low column density regions of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC) using the Galactic-ASKAP Hi(GASKAP-Hi) survey, conducted by the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). We select 10 SMC directions in the outer regions and 18 LMC directions, with four in the outskirts and 14 within the main disk. Using the radiative transfer method, we decompose the emission and absorption spectra into individual cold neutral medium (CNM) and warm neutral medium (WNM) components. In the SMC, we find Hipeak optical depths of 0.09–1.16, spin temperatures of ∼20–50 K, and CNM fractions of 1%–11%. In the LMC, optical depths range from 0.03–3.55, spin temperatures from ∼10–100 K, and CNM fractions from 1%–100%. The SMC’s low CNM fractions likely result from its low metallicity and large LOS depth. Additionally, the SMC’s outskirts show lower CNM fractions than the main body, potentially due to increased CNM evaporation influenced by the hot Magellanic Corona. Shell motions dominate the kinematics of the majority of CNM clouds in this study and likely supply cold Hito the Magellanic Stream. In the LMC, high CNM fraction clouds are found near supergiant shells, where thermal instability induced by stellar feedback promotes WNM-to-CNM transition. Although no carbon monoxide has been detected, enhanced dust shielding in these areas helps maintain the cold Hi. 

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