Early-type stars in SMC and LMC

Data include FLAMES-GIRAFFE CaII K observations of 403 stars in four open clusters, plus FEROS or UVES spectra of 156 stars in the LMC and SMC. The FLAMES observations are amongst the most extensive probes to date of CaII structures on ~20-arcsec scales in Magellanic I/HVCs.

From the FLAMES data within a 0.5{deg} field of view, the CaII K equivalent width in the I/HVC components towards three clusters varies by factors of >=10. There are no detections of molecular gas in absorption at intermediate or high velocities, although molecular absorption is present at LMC and Galactic velocities towards some sightlines. The FEROS/UVES data show CaII K I/HVC absorption in ~60 per cent of sightlines.