Shells in the Magellanic System

Abstract

The Magellanic System harbors >800 expanding shells of neutral hydrogen, providing a unique opportunity for statistical investigations. Most of these shells are surprisingly young, 2--10 Myr old, and correlate poorly with young stellar populations. I summarize what we have learned about shell properties and particularly focus on the puzzling correlation between the shell radius and expansion velocity. In the framework of the standard, adiabatic model for shell evolution this tight correlation suggests a coherent burst of star formation across the whole Magellanic System. However, more than one mechanism for shell formation may be taking place.