The Magellanic Clouds as a Template for the Study of Stellar Populations and Galaxy Interactions

Cioni, M-R L; Bekki, Kenji; Clementini, G; de Blok, W J G; Emerson, J. P.; Evans, C. J.; de Grijs, R; Gibson, Bradley K; Girardi, L; Groenewegen, M A T; Ivanov, V. D.; Wood, Peter R

The Magellanic Clouds as a Template for the Study of Stellar Populations and Galaxy Interactions

Date

2008

Authors

Cioni, M-R L

Bekki, Kenji

Clementini, G

de Blok, W J G

Emerson, J. P.

Evans, C. J.

de Grijs, R

Gibson, Bradley K

Girardi, L

Groenewegen, M A T

Publisher

CSLI Publications

Abstract

The Magellanic System represents one of the best places to study the formation and evolution of galaxies. Photometric surveys of various depths, areas and wavelengths have had a significant impact on our understanding of the system; however, a complete picture is still lacking. VMC (the VISTA near-infrared YJKs survey of the Magellanic System) will provide new data to derive the spatially resolved star formation history and to construct a three-dimensional map of the system. These data combined with those from other ongoing and planned surveys will give us an absolutely unique view of the system opening up the doors to truly new science!