The Magellanic Inter-Cloud Project (MAGIC) III: First spectroscopic
  evidence of a dwarf stripping a dwarf
  The Magellanic Bridge (MB) is a gaseous stream that links the Large (LMC) and
Small (SMC) Magellanic Clouds. Current simulations suggest that the MB forms
from a recent interaction between the Clouds. In this scenario, the MB should
also have an associated stellar bridge formed by stars tidally stripped from
the SMC by the LMC. There are several observational evidences for these
stripped stars, from the presence of intermediate age populations in the MB and
carbon stars, to the recent observation of an over-density of RR Lyrae stars
offset from the MB. However, spectroscopic confirmation of stripped stars in
the MB remains lacking. In this paper, we use medium resolution spectra to
derive the radial velocities and metallicities of stars in two fields along the
MB. We show from both their chemistry and kinematics that the bulk of these
stars must have been tidally stripped from the SMC. This is the first
spectroscopic evidence for a dwarf galaxy being tidally stripped by a larger
dwarf.
