Effect of the Magellanic Clouds on the Milky Way disk and VICE VERSA

Abstract

The satellite-disk interaction provides limits on halo properties in two ways: (1) physical arguments motivate the excitation of observable Galactic disk structure in the presence of a massive halo, although precise limits on halo parameters are scenario-dependent; (2) conversely, the Milky Way as a whole has significant dynamical effect on LMC structure and this interaction also leads to halo limits. Together, these scenarios give strong corroboration of our current gravitational mass estimates and suggests a rapidly evolving LMC.