A stellar over-density associated with the Small Magellanic Cloud
  We report the discovery of a stellar over-density 8$^{\circ}$ north of the
center of the Small Magellanic Cloud (Small Magellanic Cloud Northern
Over-Density; SMCNOD) using data from the first two years of the Dark Energy
Survey (DES) and the first year of the MAGellanic SatelLITEs Survey (MagLiteS).
The SMCNOD is indistinguishable in age, metallicity and distance from the
nearby SMC stars, being primarly composed of intermediate-age stars (6 Gyr,
Z=0.001), with a small fraction of young stars (1 Gyr, Z=0.01). The SMCNOD has
an elongated shape with an ellipticity of 0.6 and a size of $\sim$ 6x2 deg. It
has an absolute magnitude of $M_V \cong$ -7.7, $r_h = 2.1$ kpc, and
$\mu_V(r<r_h)$ = 31.2 mag arcsec$^{-2}$. We estimate a stellar mass of $\sim
10^5$ $M_{\odot}$, following a Kroupa mass function. The SMCNOD was probably
removed from the SMC disk by tidal stripping, since it is located near the head
of the Magellanic Stream, and the literature indicates likely recent LMC-SMC
encounters. This scenario is supported by the lack of significant HI gas. Other
potential scenarios for the SMCNOD origin are a transient over-density within
the SMC tidal radius or a primordial SMC satellite in advanced stage of
disruption.
