| Abstract |
We present a first look at new spectroscopic Ha observations towards the
Magellanic Bridge. This is the first part of an ongoing study to
investigate warm ionized gas within the Bridge in extensive detail using
the Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper observatory. When completed, these Ha
observations will map the extent and large-scale velocity structure of
the ionized gas, giving clues on the source(s) of ionization, the
ionization fraction, and the mass of the ionized component. Future work
will include extensively mapping the Bridge in Ha, [S II], and [N II] as
well as deep, targeted pointings in optical lines to gain additional
information on the electron temperature, metallicity, and sources of the
ionization. This study will substantially advance our knowledge of the
ionized component of the Bridge and will provide new insights on how
this system is evolving and interacting with the Magellanic Clouds. This
WHAM research is funded through NSF award AST-0607512. |