On the formation of the Magellanic Stream

We use high resolution N-Body/SPH simulations to study the hydro-dynamical and gravitational interaction between the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way. We model the dark and hot extended halo components as well as the stellar/gaseous disks of the two galaxies. Tidal forces distort the LMC’s disk, forcing a bar and creating a diffuse stellar halo and a strong warp, although very few stars are unbound from the LMC. Ram-pressure from a low density ionised halo is then sufficient to remove $1.4\times {10}^8{M}_{\odot }$ of gas from the LMC’s disk forming a great circle trailing stream around the Galaxy.