The Magellanic System (IAU S256) : Stars, Gas, and Galaxies

IAU S256 is the most complete and up-to-date account of our understanding of the Magellanic Clouds, two galaxies that accompany the Milky Way. Scientists from vastly different fields of research discuss galactic dynamics, the physics of the interstellar medium and star formation, and the fundamental properties and evolution of stars.

This volume presents the most complete and up-to-date accounts of our understanding of the Magellanic Clouds and the astrophysical processes within them. Observations of these nearby dwarf galaxies continue to advance, calibrate and challenge our knowledge of the cosmos. They are rich in gas, they have been actively forming stars throughout their history, and they display a wealth of dynamical features. Poor in metals, they serve as a stepping stone towards understanding the high-redshift Universe. In IAU Symposium 256, scientists from vastly different fields of research discuss galactic dynamics, the physics of the interstellar medium and star formation, and the fundamental properties and evolution of stars. New insight was gained by crossing the traditional boundaries of these fields, placing the findings in the context of the structure and evolution of this interacting pair of galaxies uniquely available to our ever more powerful telescopes and computational machinery.