We studied the impact of the revisited values for the LSR circular velocity of the Milky Way ( Reid et al .
2004 ) on the formation of the Magellanic Stream .
The LSR circular velocity was varied within its observational uncertainties as a free parameter of the interaction between the Large ( LMC ) and the Small ( SMC ) Magellanic Clouds and the Galaxy .
We have shown that the large–scale morphology and kinematics of the Magellanic Stream may be reproduced as tidal features , assuming the recent values of the proper motions of the Magellanic Clouds ( Kallivayalil et al .
2006 ) .
Automated exploration of the entire parameter space for the interaction was performed to identify all parameter combinations that allow for modeling the Magellanic Stream .
Satisfactory models exist for the dynamical mass of the Milky Way within a wide range of 0.6 \cdot 10 ^ { 12 } M _ { \odot } to 3.0 \cdot 10 ^ { 12 } M _ { \odot } and over the entire 1– \sigma errors of the proper motions of the Clouds .
However , the successful models share a common interaction scenario .
The Magellanic Clouds are satellites of the Milky Way , and in all cases two close LMC–SMC encounters occurred within the last 4 Gyr at t < -2.5 Gyr and t \approx - 150 Myr , triggering the formation of the Stream and of the Magellanic Bridge , respectively .
The latter encounter is encoded in the observed proper motions and inevitable in any model of the interaction .
We conclude that the tidal origin of the Magellanic Stream implies the introduced LMC/SMC orbital history , unless the parameters of the interaction are revised substantially .