The Magellanic Clouds

About this book

The Magellanic Clouds - a pair of nearby, satellite galaxies - are caught in a dynamic struggle internally and with our Milky Way. Given their close proximity, they offer a unique opportunity to study in detail the dynamics and composition of other galaxies. They have a long history of study, but interest in them has blossomed in the past four decades. This is the first book to provide a synthesised and comprehensive account of the Magellanic Clouds. This authoritative volume presents the latest understanding of the structure, evolution and dynamics of these satellite galaxies. It draws together wide-ranging observations in the X-ray, far-ultraviolet, infrared and millimetre wavelengths, including results from the Hubble Space Telescope. For graduate students and researchers, this timely edition provides a definitive reference on the Magellanic Clouds; it also gives useful supplementary reading for graduate courses on galaxies, the interstellar medium, stellar evolution and the chemical composition of galaxies.

Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. The distances of the Clouds; 3. The Clouds as galaxies; 4. The cluster population; 5. The youngest field population; 6. Superassociations and supergiant shells; 7. The intermediate-age and oldest field populations; 8. The interstellar medium; 9. X-ray sources, diffuse X-ray emission and supernova remnants; 10. The 30 Doradus complex; 11. Chemical abundances; 12. The structure and kinematics of the Magellanic System; Appendix 1: Acronyms and abreviations used in the text; Appendix 2: Reviews and proceedings; Bibliography; Index.

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