The Magellanic Clouds Survey: a Bridge to Nearby Galaxies

TL;DR

This paper advocates for a comprehensive multi-component survey of the Magellanic Clouds to advance understanding of star formation, feedback, and interstellar medium properties in nearby galaxies.

Contribution

It proposes a detailed, multi-wavelength survey of the Magellanic Clouds, integrating UV to IR data and spectroscopy, to enable diverse astrophysical studies and improve understanding of galaxy evolution.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of massive star feedback mechanisms

Detailed characterization of the 30 Doradus HII region

Insights into molecular cloud structure and ISM properties

Abstract

We outline to the community the value of a Magellanic Clouds Survey that consists of three components: I) a complete-area, high resolution, multi-band UV-near-IR broadband survey; II) a narrowband survey in 7 key nebular filters to cover a statistically significant sample of representative HII regions and a large-area, contiguous survey of the diffuse, warm ISM; and III) a comprehensive FUV spectroscopic survey of 1300 early-type stars. The science areas enabled by such a dataset are as follows: A) assessment of massive star feedback in both HII regions and the diffuse, warm ISM; B) completion of a comprehensive study of the 30 Doradus giant extragalactic HII region (GEHR); C) development and quantitative parameterization of stellar clustering properties; D) extensive FUV studies of early-type stellar atmospheres and their energy distributions; and E) similarly extensive FUV absorption-line studies of molecular cloud structure and ISM extinction properties. These data will also allow a number of additional studies relating to the underlying stellar populations.