The "Yes, Magellanic Clouds Again" survey: preliminary results

TL;DR

This survey provides new insights into the Magellanic Clouds by discovering star clusters within the age gap and an ancient stellar system, enhancing understanding of their evolution and interaction history.

Contribution

It reports the discovery of star clusters in the age gap and an ancient stellar system, offering new data on the Magellanic Clouds' evolutionary history.

Findings

Discovered four star clusters within the LMC's age gap.

Unveiled an ancient stellar system with intermediate properties.

Survey covers 110 square degrees with deep photometry.

Abstract

We present preliminary findings from the photometric survey "Yes, Magellanic Clouds Again" (YMCA, PI: V. Ripepi), covering 110 square degrees in the outer regions of the Magellanic Clouds (MCs), a pair of interacting galaxies and the most massive dwarf satellites of the Milky Way. %The survey achieves a notable photometric depth, allowing us to resolve faint, old stellar populations. Among the key results, we discovered four star clusters (SCs) within the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) exhibiting ages within the so-called "age gap", a period deemed so far devoid of SCs. Additionally, we unveiled an ancient stellar system associated with the LMC, featuring structural properties in between the globular clusters and the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies of the Local Group. These discoveries significantly contribute to our understanding of the MCs' evolution and their complex interaction history.