2000A&A...358..144D

We present a detailed study of the cluster pair SL 353 & SL 349. This candidate binary cluster is located at the northwestern rim of the LMC bar. Based on photometric data we find that both clusters are coeval with an age of 550±100Myr. We use the CaII triplet in the spectra of individual red giants to derive radial velocities. Both components of the binary cluster candidate show very similar mean velocities (≃274±10km/s for SL 349 and ≃279±4km/s for SL 353) while the field stars show lower velocities (≃240±19km/s). These findings suggest a common origin of the two clusters from the same GMC. In this sense the cluster pair may constitute a true binary cluster. We furthermore investigate the stellar densities in and around the star clusters and compare them with isopleths created from artificial, interacting as well as non-interacting star clusters. Gravitational interaction leads to a distortion which can also be found in the observed pair.