THE DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF THE MAGELLANIC SYSTEM

Orbital parameters of the magellanic cloud system describing it as a b inary system of LMC and SMC that remained stable for the last 10(10) y ears have been determined. All these orbits resulted in a close collis ion of LMC and SMC about 5.10(8) years ago which occurred at an orbita l position which projects into a position close to the tip of the Mage llanic Stream on the sphere. Gas clouds of LMC and SMC which then coll ided are now found in the bridge region of the intercloud area enclosi ng both clouds. Gas-dynamical interactions with the galactic halo extr acts gas from the bridge region and now forms the Magellanic Stream. D ue to the friction the orbital velocity of the stream is slowed down s o that it Sags towards the galactic center, the tip now having a galac tocentric distance half of that of the Magellanic Clouds.