Confirmation or refutation of northeastern shell formation frameworks

Determine whether the proposed formation scenarios for the Small Magellanic Cloud’s northeastern shell—ram-pressure-induced star formation associated with the Milky Way’s circumgalactic bow shock versus tidal stripping during the Magellanic Bridge formation—are correct by employing hydrodynamic simulations with sufficient resolution to predict stellar structures like the shell.

Background

The paper advances two viable formation scenarios for the northeastern shell: (i) ram-pressure and bow-shock effects as the SMC moves through a higher-density circumgalactic environment, and (ii) tidal stripping during formation of the Magellanic Bridge. The authors compare SFHs and discuss coherent timings but emphasize modeling limitations.

They note current hydrodynamic simulations lack the resolution to predict such fine stellar structures, preventing an unequivocal determination of the correct framework.