GBT22B-358

SPC: Stellar Connection with the Gaseous Magellanic Leading Arm

Abstract

The young Price-Whelan 1 star cluster was recently discovered just beyond the front of the gaseous Leading Arm (LA) II complex of the Magellanic System. This cluster is both kinematically and spatially consistent with a LA II origin. We propose to conduct deep GBT mapping of a 12-degrees x 13-degrees region in HI 21-cm emission to search for diffuse gas connecting the cluster to LA II, which would confirm that it formed out of LA II. We request 112 hours of L-band time with the VEGAS receiver to achieve a 1-sigma sensitivity of log(NHI) = 17.13. If we confirm that these stars formed out of LA II, then we will conduct a spatially-resolved case study of star formation within the Galactic halo, and directly measure the impact that ram-pressure stripping has had on this cluster to displace the gas from its birth site.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Erica Chwalik	Montana State University
Jo Vazquez	Texas Christian University
April Horton	Texas Christian University; Macalester College
Adrian Price-Whelan	Flatiron Institute
David Nidever	Montana State University
Andrew Fox	Space Telescope Science Institute
Kathleen Barger *	Texas Christian University

* indicates the PI