We present the results of a spectroscopic monitoring campaign of the OB-star companions to the eclipsing X-ray pulsars SMC X-1, LMC X-4 and Cen X-3. High-resolution optical spectra obtained with UVES on the ESO Very Large Telescope are used to determine the radial-velocity orbit of the OB (super)giants with high precision. The excellent quality of the spectra provides the opportunity to measure the radial-velocity curve based on individual lines, and to study the effect of possible distortions of the line profiles due to e.g. X-ray heating on the derived radial-velocity amplitude. Several spectral lines show intrinsic variations with orbital phase. The magnitude of these variations depends on line strength, and thus provides a criterion to select lines that do not suffer from distortions. The undistorted lines show a larger radial-velocity amplitude than the distorted lines, consistent with model predictions. Application of our line-selection criteria results in a mean radial-velocity amplitude K(Opt) of 20.2 +/- 1.1, 35.1 +/- 1.5, and 27.5 +/- 2.3 km/s (1 sigma errors), for the OB companion to SMC X-1, LMC X-4 and Cen X-3, respectively. Adding information on the projected rotational velocity of the OB companion (derived from our spectra), the duration of X-ray eclipse and orbital parameters of the X-ray pulsar (obtained from literature), we arrive at a neutron star mass of 1.06^{+0.11}_{-0.10}, 1.25^{+0.11}_{-0.10} and 1.34^{+0.16}_{-0.14} M{sun} for SMC X-1, LMC X-4 and Cen X-3, respectively. The mass of SMC X-1 is near the minimum mass (~1 M{sun}) expected for a neutron star produced in a supernova. We discuss the implications of the measured mass distribution on the neutron-star formation mechanism, in relation to the evolutionary history of the massive binaries.
Spectroscopic analyses of 7 SMC B-type supergiants and 1 giant have been undertaken using high resolution optical data obtained on the VLT with UVES. FASTWIND, a non-LTE, spherical,line-blanketed model atmosphere code was used to derive atmospheric and wind parameters of these stars as well as their absolute abundances. The implications of these results for stellar evolution and line driven wind theory are discussed.
We discuss the abundances of interstellar CH, CH+, and CN in the Magellanic Clouds (MC), derived from spectra of 7 SMC and 13 LMC stars obtained (mostly) with the VLT/UVES. CH and/or CH+ are detected toward 3 SMC and 9 LMC stars; CN is detected toward 2 stars. In the MC, the CH/H2 ratio is comparable to that found for diffuse Galactic molecular clouds in some sight lines, but is lower by factors up to 10-15 in others. The abundance of CH in the MC thus appears to depend on local physical conditions -- and not just on metallicity. The observed relationships between the column density of CH and …
An analysis of high-resolution VLT/UVES spectra of two B-type main sequence stars, NGC 346-11 and AV 304, in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), has been undertaken, using the non-LTE TLUSTY model atmospheres to derive the stellar parameters and chemical compositions of each star. The chemical compositions of the two stars are in reasonable agreement. Moreover, our stellar analysis agrees well with earlier analyses of H II regions. The results derived here should be representative of the current base-line chemical composition of the SMC interstellar medium as derived from B-type stars.
The search for deuterium Balmer lines with VLT-UVES is reported in HII regions of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. The DI lines appear as faint, narrow emission features in the blue wings of the HI Balmer lines and can be distinguished from high-velocity HI emission. The previous identification to deuterium is re-inforced beyond doubt. The detection of D-alpha and D-beta in Orion (Hebrard et al. 2000) is confirmed and deuterium lines are now detected up to at least D-eta. The UVES observations provide the first detection of Balmer DI lines in four new HII regions (M 8, M 16, M 20, and DEM…
High-resolution UVES/VLT spectra of B12, an extreme pole-on Be star in the SMC cluster NGC330, have been analysed using non-LTE model atmospheres to obtain its chemical composition relative to the SMC standard star AV304. We find a general underabundance of metals which can be understood in terms of an extra contribution to the stellar continuum due to emission from a disk which we estimate to be at the ~25% level. When this is corrected for, the nitrogen abundance for B12 shows no evidence of enhancement by rotational mixing as has been found in other non-Be B-type stars in NGC330, and is inc…
We present new accurate CCD uvby light curves for the LMC eclipsing binaries HV982 and HV12578, and for the SMC systems HV1433 and HV11284 obtained at the Danish 1.5m telescope at ESO, La Silla. The light curves were derived from DoPHOT photometry, and typical accuracies are between 0.007 and 0.012 mag per point. Standard uvby indices have also been established for each binary, primarily for determination of interstellar reddening and absorption. For HV982 and HV12578, accurate photometric elements have been established. Both systems consist of two detached components of comparable sizes in an…
We have obtained the first high resolution spectra of individual stars in the dwarf irregular galaxy, NGC 6822. The spectra of the two A-type supergiants were obtained at the VLT and Keck Observatories, using UVES and HIRES, respectively. A detailed model atmospheres analysis has been used to determine their atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances. The mean iron abundance from these two stars is $<$[Fe/H]$>=-$0.49 $\pm$0.22 ({\it $\pm$0.21}, with Cr yielding a similar underabundance, $<$[Cr/H]$>=-$0.50 $\pm$0.20 ({\it $\pm$0.16}). This confirms that NGC 6822 has a metallicity that is s…
We have undertaken quantitative analysis of four LMC and SMC O4--9.7 extreme supergiants using far-ultraviolet FUSE, ultraviolet IUE/HSTand optical VLT UVES spectroscopy. Extended, non-LTE model atmospheres that allow for the consistent treatment of line blanketing are used to analyse wind & photospheric spectral features simultaneously. Using Halpha to constrain dM/dt, HeI-II photospheric lines reveal T_eff's which are systematically (5-7.5kK) & substantially (15-20%) lower than previously derived from unblanketed, plane-parallel, non-LTE photospheric studies. We have confidence in these revi…
Spectroscopic observations taken with the VLT/UVES telescope/instrument are presented of the unusual Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) X-ray binary system SXP 323 = AX J0051-733. This system shows a clear modulation at 0.71d in long term optical photometry which has been proposed as the binary period of this system. The high resolution optical spectra, taken at a range of phases during the 0.71d cycle, rule out this possibility. Instead it is suggested that this long-term effect is due to Non Radial Pulsations (NRP) in the Be star companion to SXP 323. In addition, the spectra show clear evidence f…
We present the results of a monitoring campaign of three eclipsing high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs: SMC X-1, LMC X-4 and Cen X-3). High-resolution VLT/UVES spectra are used to measure the radial velocities of these systems with high accuracy. We show that the subsequent mass determination of the neutron stars in these systems is significantly improved and discuss the implications of this result.
We compare the distribution of stars of different spectral types, and hence mean age, within the central SMC and find that the asymmetric structures are almost exclusively composed of young main sequence stars. Because of the relative lack of older stars in these features, and the extremely regular distribution of red giant and clump stars in the SMC central body, we conclude that tides alone are not responsible for the irregular appearance of the central SMC. The dominant physical mechanism in determining the current-day appearance of the SMC must be star formation triggered by a hydrodynamic…
We study the physical conditions in DLAs, using a sample of 33 systems toward 26 QSOs acquired for a recently completed survey of H_2 by Ledoux et al. (2003). We use the column densities of H_2 in different rotational levels, together with those of C I, C I*, C I**, C II* and singly ionized atomic species to discuss the kinetic temperature, the density of hydrogen and the electronic density in the gas together with the ambient UV radiation field. Detailed comparisons are made between the observed properties in DLAs, the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Galaxy, LMC and SMC. The mean kinetic tem…
We use Hubble Space Telescope archival images to measure central surface brightness profiles of globular clusters around satellite galaxies of the Milky Way. We report results for 21 clusters around the LMC, 5 around the SMC, and 4 around the Fornax dwarf galaxy. The profiles are obtained using a recently developed technique based on measuring integrated light, which is tested on an extensive simulated dataset. Our results show that for 70% of the sample, the central photometric points of our profiles are brighter than previous measurements using star counts with deviations as large as 2 mag/a…
We have made differential radial velocity measurements of the star alpha Cen A using two spectrographs, UVES and UCLES, both with iodine absorption cells for wavelength referencing. Stellar oscillations are clearly visible in the time series. After removing jumps and slow trends in the data, we show that the precision of the velocity measurements per minute of observing time is 0.42 m/s for UVES and 1.0 m/s for UCLES, while the noise level in the Fourier spectrum of the combined data is 1.9 cm/s. As such, these observations represent the most precise velocities ever measured on any star apart …
The spatial distribution of the SMC stellar component is investigated from 2MASS data. The morphology of the different age populations is presented. The center of the distribution is calculated and compared with previous estimations. The rotation of the stellar content and possible consequence of dark matter presence are discussed. The different stellar populations are identified through a CMD diagram of the 2MASS data. Isopleth contour maps are produced in every case, to reveal the spatial distribution. The derived density profiles are discussed. The older stellar population follows an expone…
We present deep ground-based {\it B} and {\it R} observations of 12 fields in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The resulting color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) reach the oldest main-sequence (MS) turnoff at M$_{R}$$\thicksim$3.5 and reveal the stellar population differences between the part of the galaxy facing the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and an area on the opposite side. In the Southern part of the galaxy, we found that there are still intermediate-age stars as far as 4 kpc from the SMC center. The Chemical Enrichment History (CEH) in one of our SMC fields is also presented.
We present a progress report of a project to study the quantitative star formation history (SFH) in different parts of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We use the information in [(B-R), R] color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), which reach down to the oldest main-sequence turnoffs and allow us to retrieve the SFH in detail. We show the first results of the SFH in a SMC field located in the Southern direction (at $\thicksim$1 kpc from the SMC center). This field is particularly interesting because in spite of being located in a place in which the HI column density is very low, it still presents a re…
We first show that a large amount of metal-poor gas is stripped from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and fallen into the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) during the tidal interaction between the SMC, the LMC, and the Galaxy over the last 2 Gyrs. We propose that this metal-poor gas can closely be associated with the origin of LMC's young and intermediate-age stars and star clusters with distinctively low-metallicities with [Fe/H] < -0.6. We numerically investigate whether gas initially in the outer part of the SMC's gas disk can be stripped during the LMC-SMC-Galaxy interaction and consequently ca…
We present ground-based B and R-band color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), reaching the oldest main-sequence turnoffs with good photometric accuracy for twelve fields in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Our fields, located between ~1 and ~4 degrees from the center of the galaxy, are situated in different parts of the SMC such as the "Wing'' area, and towards the West and South. In this paper we perform a first analysis of the stellar content in our SMC fields through comparison with theoretical isochrones and color functions (CFs). We find that the underlying spheroidally distributed population is…
We introduce the SMC in space and time, a large coordinated space and ground-based program to study star formation processes and history, as well as variable stars, structure, kinematics and chemical evolution of the whole SMC. Here, we present the Colour-Magnitude Diagrams(CMDs) resulting from HST/ACS photometry, aimed at deriving the star formation history (SFH) in six fields of the SMC. The fields are located in the central regions, in the stellar halo, and in the wing toward the LMC. The CMDs are very deep, well beyond the oldest Main Sequence Turn-Off, and will allow us to derive the SFH …
We present results from dual-abundance photoionization modelling of the planetary nebula SMC N87 (SMC-SMP 27). The models succesfully resolve the observed discrepancy between the heavy-element abundances derived semiempirically from the optical recombination lines and the collisionally excited lines, incorporating a H-poor gaseous component in the main body of the PN. The mass of the H-poor plasma is only about 1 per cent of the total PN ionized mass and its electron temperature is 6300 K. The average heavy element abundances in the PN approximate those returned by the ICF method using the col…
We have used the latest HI observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Parkes telescope, to re-examine the kinematics of this dwarf, irregular galaxy. A large velocity gradient is found in the HI velocity field with a significant symmetry in iso-velocity contours, suggestive of a differential rotation. A comparison of HI data with the predictions from tidal models for the SMC evolution suggests that the central region of the SMC corresponds to the central, disk- or bar-like, component left from the rotationally supported SMC dis…
The wide range of UV extinction properties in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) probably traces the effects of star formation on interstellar dust. The Swift UVOT, with its three UV filters (centred at 1800, 2200 and 2500 A respectively) and three optical filters, is an ideal instrument to map this extinction. We present preliminary results of six-band photometry in a ~ 3.3 arcminute square field in the SMC. Fitting the resulting optical/UV spectral distributions with a dust model, we estimate the depths of extinction for 53 stars and use this to map the distribution of dust in the observed fie…
The early evolution of star clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) has been the subject of significant recent controversy, particularly regarding the importance and length of the earliest, largely mass-independent disruption phase (referred to as "infant mortality"). Here, we take a fresh approach to the problem, using an independent, homogeneous data set of UBVR imaging observations, from which we obtain the SMC's cluster age and mass distributions in a self-consistent manner. We conclude that the (optically selected) SMC star cluster population has undergone at most ~30 per cent (1 sig…
We present a spectroscopic survey of 2046 red giant stars, distributed over the central 4x2 kpc of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). After fitting and removing a small velocity gradient across the SMC (7.9 km/s/deg oriented at 10 deg E of N), we measure an rms velocity scatter of 27.5+-0.5 km/s. The line of sight velocity distribution is well-characterized by a Gaussian and the velocity dispersion profile is nearly constant as a function of radius. We find no kinematic evidence of tidal disturbances. Without a high-precision measurement of the SMC's proper motion, it is not possible to constra…
Surveys using CCD detectors are retrieving bright and faint cataloged clusters and revealing new ones in the Magellanic Clouds. This paper discusses the contribution of the OGLE Survey to the overall census of star clusters in the SMC. A detailed cross-identification indicates that the new objects in the SMC OGLE catalog are 46. The increase in the number of cataloged clusters is ~ 7%, the total sample being ~ 700. This updated census includes embedded clusters in HII regions and a density range attaining loose systems.
The individual reddenings for B stars in two fields in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and two fields in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) are determined by means of Stroemgren uvby CCD photometry. In both LMC fields we find a foreground reddening of E(B-V) = 0.085 +/- 0.02, and for the SMC fields we find E(B-V) = 0.070 +/- 0.02. In addition to the foreground reddening we find contributions from reddening intrinsically in the Clouds up to E(B-V) ~ 0.21. The intrinsic contribution is not correlated with position within our 6 x 4.5 arcmin CCD fields but varies in an essentially random way. Unles…
NGC 602 is a young stellar cluster located in a peripheral region of the Small Magellanic Cloud known as the wing. Far from the main body of the galaxy and abutting the Magellanic Bridge, the SMC's wing is characterized by low gas and stellar content. With deep optical imaging from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have discovered an extensive pre-Main Sequence (PMS) population, with stellar masses in the range 0.6-3 Solar masses. These low mass PMS stars formed coevally with the central cluster about 4 Myr ago. Spitzer Space Telescope (Spitzer) …
High-resolution Hubble Space Telescope images have allowed us for the first time to resolve the compact SMC ionized ``blob'' N88A (diameter 3.5 arcsec or 1 pc). This very young HII region, which is hatching from its natal molecular cloud, is heavily affected by absorbing dust associated with the cloud. The interstellar reddening towards N88A is on average Av~1.5 mag and strikingly rises to more than 3.5 mag in a narrow dust band crossing the core of the HII region. Such a high extinction is unprecedented for an HII region in the metal-poor SMC. We present the photometry of some 70 stars lying …
We present the most likely optical counterparts of 113 X-ray sources detected in our Chandra survey of the central region of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) based on the OGLE-II and MCPS catalogs. We estimate that the foreground contamination and chance coincidence probability are minimal for the bright optical counterparts (corresponding to OB type stars; 35 in total). We propose here for the first time 13 High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs), of which 4 are Be/X-ray binaries (Be-XRBs), and we confirm the previous classification of 18 Be-XRBs. We estimate that the new candidate Be-XRBs have an a…
We present a detailed analysis of the intrinsic UV absorption in the central HDFS target QSO J2233-606, based on a high-resolution, high S/N (~25 -- 50) spectrum obtained with VLT/UVES. This spectrum samples the cluster of intrinsic absorption systems outflowing from the AGN at radial velocities v ~ -5000 -- -3800 km/s in the key far-UV diagnostic lines - the lithium-like CNO doublets and H I Lyman series. We fit the absorption troughs using a global model of all detected lines to solve for the independent velocity-dependent covering factors of the continuum and emission-line sources and ionic…
A complete overview of the supernova remnant (SNR) population is required to investigate their evolution and interaction with the surrounding interstellar medium in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Recent XMM-Newton observations of the SMC cover three known SNRs (DEM S5, SNR B0050-72.8, and SNR B0058-71.8), which are poorly studied and are X-ray faint. We used new multi-frequency radio-continuum surveys and new optical observations at Ha, [SII], and [OIII] wavelengths, in combination with the X-ray data, to investigate their properties and to search for new SNRs in the SMC. We used X-ray sour…
At low metallicity, B-type stars show lower loss of mass and, therefore, angular momentum so that it is expected that there are more Be stars in the Magellanic Clouds than in the Milky Way. However, till now, searches for Be stars were only performed in a very small number of open clusters in the Magellanic Clouds. Using the ESO/WFI in its slitless spectroscopic mode, we performed a Halpha survey of the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud. Eight million low-resolution spectra centered on Halpha were obtained. For their automatic analysis, we developed the ALBUM code. Here, we present the observat…
We present VLT-UVES echelle spectroscopy of the HI and CIV absorption in the spatially-extended Lyman-alpha emission around two high-redshift radio galaxies 0200+015 (z=2.23) and 0943-242 (z=2.92). The absorbers in 0943-242 exhibit little additional structure compared with previous low-resolution spectroscopy and the main absorber is still consistent with HI column density of ~10^19 cm^-2. This is consistent with a picture in which the absorbing gas has low density and low metallicity and is distributed in a smooth absorbing shell located beyond the emission-line gas. However, the main absorbe…
We present a photometric analysis of the star clusters Lindsay 1, Kron 3, NGC339, NGC416, Lindsay 38, and NGC419 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) in the F555W and F814W filters. Our color magnitude diagrams (CMDs) extend ~3.5 mag deeper than the main-sequence turnoff points, deeper than any previous data. Cluster ages were derived using three different isochrone models: Padova, Teramo, and Dartmouth, which are all available in the ACS photometric system. Fitting observed ridgelines for each cluster, we provide a hom…
We present a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of 13 supernova remnants (SNR) in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We apply both single-temperature non-equilibrium ionisation models and models based on the Sedov similarity solution, where applicable. We also present detailed X-ray images of individual SNRs, which reveal a range of different morphological features. Eight remnants, viz DEM S 32, IKT 2, HFPK 419, IKT 6, IKT 16, IKT 18 and IKT 23, are consistent with being in their Sedov evolutionary phase. IKT 6 and IKT 23 both have a clear shell like morphology with oxygen-rich X-ray emitting mat…
New candidate variable stars have been identified in the Small Magellanic Cloud cluster NGC121, by applying both the image subtraction technique (ISIS, Alard 2000) and the Welch & Stetson (1993) detection method to HST WFPC2 archive and ACS proprietary images of the cluster. The new candidate variable stars are located from the cluster's Main Sequence up to Red Giant Branch. Twenty-seven of them fall on the cluster Horizontal Branch and are very likely RR Lyrae stars. They include the few RR Lyrae stars already discussed by Walker & Mack (1988). We also detected 20 Dwarf Cepheid candidates in …
We present high spectral resolution echelle observations of the Balmer line variations during the 2003.5 ``spectroscopic event'' of eta Carinae. Spectra have been recorded of both eta Carinae and the Homunculus at the FOS4 position in its SE lobe. This spot shows a reflected stellar spectrum which is less contaminated by nebular emission lines than ground-based observations of the central object itself. Our observations show that the spectroscopic event is much less pronounced at this position than when seen directly on eta Car using HST/STIS. Assuming that the reflected spectrum is indeed lat…
We present a study on the central stars (CSs) of Planetary Nebulae (PNe) observed in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph instrument on-board the HST. The stellar magnitudes have been measured using broad-band photometry, and Zanstra analysis of the nebulae provided the stellar temperatures. From the location of the CSs on the HR diagram, and by comparing the observed CSs with current models of stellar evolution, we infer the CSs masses. We examine closely the possibility of light contamination in the bandpass from an unrecognized stellar companion, an…
We have used UVES on VLT-UT2 to take spectra of 15 individual red giant stars in the centers of four nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies: Sculptor, Fornax, Carina and Leo I. We measure the abundance variations of numerous elements in these low mass stars with a range of ages (1-15Gyr old). This means that we can effectively measure the chemical evolution of these galaxies WITH TIME. Our results show a significant spread in metallicity with age, but an overall trend consistent with what might be expected from a closed (or perhaps leaky) box chemical evolution scenario over the last 10-15Gyr. We no…
ASCA observed the central region of the Small Magellanic Cloud, and found a hard X-ray source, AX J0051-733, at the position of the ROSAT source RX J0050.8-7316, which has an optical counterpart of a Be star. Coherent X-ray pulsations of 323.1 +/- 0.3 s were discovered from AX J0051-733. The pulse profile shows several sub-peaks in the soft (0.7-2.0 keV) X-ray band, but becomes nearly sinusoidal in the harder (2.0-7.0 keV) X-ray band. The X-ray spectrum was found to be hard, and is well fitted by a power-law model with a photon index of 1.0 +/- 0.4. The long-term flux history was examined with…
In the quest of understanding how star formation occurs and propagates in the low metallicity environment of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), we acquired deep F555W (~V), and F814W (~I) HST/ACS images of the young and massive star forming region NGC 346. These images and their photometric analysis provide us with a snapshot of the star formation history of the region. We find evidence for star formation extending from ~10 Gyr in the past until ~150 Myr in the field of the SMC. The youngest stellar population (~3 +/- 1 Myr) is associated with the NGC 346 cluster. It includes a rich component o…
We present an analysis of the spatial distribution of various stellar populations within the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. We use optically selected stellar samples with mean ages between ~9 and ~1000 Myr, and existing stellar cluster catalogues to investigate how stellar structures form and evolve within the LMC/SMC. We use two statistical techniques to study the evolution of structure within these galaxies, the $Q$-parameter and the two-point correlation function (TPCF). In both galaxies we find the stars are born with a high degree of substructure (i.e. are highly fractal) and that the…
We demonstrate that single and binary star clusters can be formed during cloud-cloud collisions triggered by the tidal interaction between the Large and Small Magellanic clouds. We run two different sets of self-consistent numerical simulations which show that compact, bound star clusters can be formed within the centers of two colliding clouds due to strong gaseous shocks, compression, and dissipation, providing the clouds have moderately large relative velocities (10-60 km s$^{-1}$). The impact parameter determines whether the two colliding clouds become a single or a binary cluster. The sta…
We study high-resolution spectra of the `overlapping-trough' low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) quasar SDSS J030000.56+004828.0. The CaII, MgII and MgI column densities in this object are the largest reported to date for any BAL outflow. The broad CaII absorption is mildly blended, but the blending can be disentangled to measure the CaII column density, which is large enough that the outflow must include a strong hydrogen ionization front. The outflow begins at a blueshift of ~1650 km/s from the systemic redshift. The lowest velocity BAL region produces strong CaII absorption but doe…
B and V photometry has been obtained for variable stars in the northeast arm of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Periods and lightcurves have been determined for 237 periodic variables, including 201 Cepheids, 68 of which are newly discovered. Fundamental mode Cepheids and first overtone mode Cepheids are generally well separated in the B,V color-magnitude diagram, with the latter having bluer mean colors than the former. The Cepheid period-color relationship for this outlying SMC field is indistinguishable from that seen in more centrally located SMC fields, and is bluer than theoretical pre…
In this paper we discuss the cluster and field star formation in the central part of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The main goal is to study the correlation between young objects and their interstellar environment. The ages of about 164 associations and 311 clusters younger than 1 Gyr are determined using isochrone fitting. The spatial distribution of the clusters is compared with the HI maps, with the HI velocity dispersion field, with the location of the CO clouds and with the distribution of young field stars. The cluster age distribution supports the idea that clusters formed in the last 1 G…
Kallivayalil et al. have used the \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} to measure proper motions of the LMC and SMC using images in 21 and five fields, respectively, all centered on known QSOs. These results are more precise than previous measurements, but have surprising and important physical implications: for example, the LMC and SMC may be approaching the Milky Way for the first time; they might not have been in a binary system; and the origin of the Magellanic Stream needs to be re-examined. Motivated by these implications, we have reanalyzed the original data in order to check the validity of…
We present the results of a FUSE survey of O VI 1031.93 Angstrom and 1037.62 Angstrom absorption toward 18 OB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We detect O VI along every sight line. The average value of the O VI column density in the SMC is log <N(O VI)>=14.53. This value is 1.7 times higher than the average value for the Milky Way halo (perpendicular to the Galactic plane) of log N_perp(O VI)=14.29 found by FUSE, even though the SMC has much lower metallicity than the Galaxy. The column density in the SMC is higher along sight lines that lie close to star-forming regions, in particu…
We investigate the present distributions of gas and young stars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) based on fully self-consistent numerical simulations of the Clouds for the last ~ 0.8 Gyr. Our principal results, which can be tested against observations, are as follows. The last dynamical and hydrodynamical interaction between the Clouds about ~ 0.2 Gyr ago can form the apparently off-center bar and peculiar HI spirals of the LMC. The present spatial distributions of young stars with ages less than 20 Myr in the LMC can be significantly asymmetric and clumpy owing to the in…
We present in this study flux-calibrated integrated spectra in the range 3600-6800A for 18 concentrated SMC clusters. Cluster reddening values were estimated by interpolation between the extinction maps of Burstein & Heiles (1982, AJ, 87, 1165) and Schlegel et al. (1998, ApJ, 500, 525). The cluster parameters were derived from the template matching procedure by comparing the line strengths and continuum distribution of the cluster spectra with those of template cluster spectra with known parameters and from the equivalent width (EW) method. In this case, new calibrations were used together wit…
We present the spatially-resolved star formation and chemical enrichment history of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) across the entire central $4-degree x 4.5-degree area of the main body, based on UBVI photometry from our Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey. We find that 1) approximately 50% of the stars that ever formed in the SMC formed prior to 8.4 Gyr ago (z >1.2 for WMAP cosmology), 2) the SMC formed relatively few stars between 8.4 and 3 Gyr ago, 3) there was a rise in the mean star formation rate during the most recent 3 Gyr punctuated by "bursts" at ages of 2.5, 0.4, and 0.06 Gyr, 4)…
We present the list of potential multiple star clusters from the central part of the SMC. Presented systems were selected from the catalog of star clusters from the SMC. We find 23 suspected cluster pairs and 4 triple systems. The statistical analysis suggests that many of them may constitute physical systems. Size, equatorial coordinates and age of presented clusters are given. Age of clusters which form five pairs and one triple system is coeval suggesting common origin of these objects.
We report on the study of the population of B and Be stars in SMC young clusters, performed with the Wide Field Imager in slitless spectroscopic mode at ESO/T2.2m with a filter centered at Halpha. First, we explain the reduction methods we used and our selection of different types of objects. Second, we present results on the proportion of Be stars in SMC clusters, and we compare this proportion to the one observed in the Milky Way. Finally, we also present results on a statistical study of variability of Be stars with OGLE.
We present three color, BVI maps of the Small Magellanic Cloud. The maps contain precise photometric and astrometric data for about 2.2 million stars from the central regions of the SMC bar covering ~2.4 square degrees on the sky. Mean brightness of stars is derived from observations collected in the course of the OGLE-II microlensing search from about 130, 30 and 15 measurements in the I, V and B-bands, respectively. Accuracy of the zero points of photometry is about 0.01 mag, and astrometry 0.15 arcsec (with possible systematic error up to 0.7 arcsec). Color-magnitude diagrams of observed fi…
We are examining mass loss from globular clusters giant stars, focussing on metallicity dependance. We present three sets of observations: TIMMI-2 mid-IR spectra of 47 Tuc, UVES high-resolution optical spectra of several clusters, and an infrared atlas of omega Cen using the Spitzer Space Telescope.
0103$-$72.6, the second brightest X-ray supernova remnant (SNR) in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), has been observed with the {\it Chandra X-Ray Observatory}. Our {\it Chandra} observation unambiguously resolves the X-ray emission into a nearly complete, remarkably circular shell surrounding bright clumpy emission in the center of the remnant. The observed X-ray spectrum for the central region is evidently dominated by emission from reverse shock-heated metal-rich ejecta. Elemental abundances in this ejecta material are particularly enhanced in oxygen and neon, while less prominent in the he…
We used the red clump stars from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE II) survey and the the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey (MCPS), to estimate the line of sight depth. The observed dispersion in the magnitude and colour distribution of red clump stars is used to estimate the line of sight depth, after correcting for the contribution due to other effects. This dispersion due to depth, has a range from minimum dispersion that can be estimated, to 0.46 mag (a depth of 500 pc to 10.44 Kpc), in the LMC. In the case of SMC, the dispersion ranges from minimum dispersion to 0.35 ma…
We present results of age determination based on the standard procedure of isochrone fitting for about 600 star clusters younger than about 1.2 Gyr from the central parts of the LMC. Comparison of age distributions of star clusters from the LMC and the SMC shows that cluster formation histories are different in these galaxies. The age distribution of the LMC clusters reveals bursty nature of cluster formation in this galaxy, with contrast to the relatively uniform distribution of cluster ages in the SMC. We detected three extended peaks in the distribution of ages of LMC clusters, located at a…
We present structural parameters for 204 stellar clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud derived from fitting King and Elson, Fall, & Freeman model profiles to the V-band surface brightness profiles as measured from the Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey images. Both King and EFF profiles are satisfactory fits to the majority of the profiles although King profiles are generally slightly superior to the softened power-law profiles of Elson, Fall, and Freeman and provide statistically acceptable fits to ~90% of the sample. We find no correlation between the preferred model and cluster age. The …
