Three-dimensional Reddening Maps of the Magellanic Clouds Constructed by RR Lyrae Stars

Abstract We present the first three-dimensional reddening maps of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) constructed using fundamental-mode RR Lyrae stars (RRab) from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) survey. By applying a period–amplitude–color relation and a period–luminosity–metallicity calibration in the OGLE photometric system, we derive intrinsic colors, color excess E ( V − I ), and photometric distances for more than 20,000 RRab stars in the LMC and 3000 in the SMC. Spatial variations in reddening are modeled using an adaptive quadtree scheme, where robust reddening–distance relations are fit within each partition and distances are iteratively updated to achieve self-consistency. The resulting maps reveal resolved dust structures across both galaxies, including steep reddening gradients in the central LMC and flatter profiles in the SMC. The construction of the three-dimensional reddening maps further reveals that high-extinction regions exhibit reddening behavior inconsistent with a uniform extinction law, implying localized variations in dust properties. The final maps comprise 205 partitions for the LMC and 67 partitions for the SMC, and are released together with a Python-based query tool and GeoJSON data products. These 3D maps provide a foundation for distance-dependent reddening corrections and for probing the structure and physical conditions of the Magellanic interstellar medium, and future high-precision and cadence RR Lyrae sample from Gaia DR4 will support higher-resolution mapping and deeper exploration of dust substructure.