The distribution and ages of star clusters in the Small Magellanic
  Cloud: Constraints on the interaction history of the Magellanic Clouds
  We present a new study of the spatial distribution and ages of the star
clusters in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). To detect and estimate the ages
of the star clusters we rely on the new fully-automated method developed by
Bitsakis et al. (2017). Our code detects 1319 star clusters in the central 18
deg$^{2}$ of the SMC we surveyed (1108 of which have never been reported
before). The age distribution of those clusters suggests enhanced cluster
formation around 240 Myr ago. It also implies significant differences in the
cluster distribution of the bar with respect to the rest of the galaxy, with
the younger clusters being predominantly located in the bar. Having used the
same set-up, and data from the same surveys as for our previous study of the
LMC, we are able to robustly compare the cluster properties between the two
galaxies. Our results suggest that the bulk of the clusters in both galaxies
were formed approximately 300 Myr ago, probably during a direct collision
between the two galaxies. On the other hand, the locations of the young
($\le$50 Myr) clusters in both Magellanic Clouds, found where their bars join
the HI arms, suggest that cluster formation in those regions is a result of
internal dynamical processes. Finally, we discuss the potential causes of the
apparent outside-in quenching of cluster formation that we observe in the SMC.
Our findings are consistent with an evolutionary scheme where the interactions
between the Magellanic Clouds constitute the major mechanism driving their
overall evolution.
