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Spiral structure of the third galactic quadrant and the solution to the Canis Major debate
With the discovery of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal, a galaxy caughtin the process of merging with the Milky Way, the hunt for other suchaccretion events has become a very active field of astrophysicalresearch. The identification of a stellar ring-like structure inMonoceros, spanning more than 100°, and the detection of anoverdensity of stars in the direction of the constellation of CanisMajor (CMa), apparently associated to the ring, has led to thewidespread belief that a second galaxy being cannibalized by the MilkyWay had been found. In this scenario, the overdensity would be theremaining core of the disrupted galaxy and the ring would be the tidaldebris left behind. However, unlike the Sagittarius dwarf, which is wellbelow the Galactic plane and whose orbit, and thus tidal tail, is nearlyperpendicular to the plane of the Milky Way, the putative CMa galaxy andring are nearly co-planar with the Galactic disc. This severelycomplicates the interpretation of observations. In this Letter, we showthat our new description of the Milky Way leads to a completelydifferent picture. We argue that the Norma-Cygnus spiral arm defines adistant stellar ring crossing Monoceros and the overdensity is simply aprojection effect of looking along the nearby local arm. Our perspectivesheds new light on a very poorly known region, the third Galacticquadrant, where CMa is located.
| Open clusters in the Third Galactic Quadrant. II. The intermediate age open clusters NGC 2425 and NGC 2635
We analyse CCD broad band (UBV(RI)_C) photometric data obtained in thefields of the poorly studied open clusters NGC 2425and NGC 2635. Both clusters are found to be ofintermediate age thus increasing the population of open clusters knownto be of the age of, or older than, the Hyades. More explicitly, we findthat NGC 2425 is a 2.2 Gyr old cluster, probably ofsolar metallicity, located at 3.5 kpc from the Sun. NGC2635 is a Hyades age (600 Myr) cluster located at a distanceof 4.0 kpc from the Sun. Its Colour Magnitude Diagram reveals that it isextremely metal poor for its age and position, thus making it a veryinteresting object in the context of Galactic Disk chemical evolutionmodels.
| The Evolutionary Status of Be Stars: Results from a Photometric Study of Southern Open Clusters
Be stars are a class of rapidly rotating B stars with circumstellardisks that cause Balmer and other line emission. There are threepossible reasons for the rapid rotation of Be stars: they may have beenborn as rapid rotators, spun up by binary mass transfer, or spun upduring the main-sequence (MS) evolution of B stars. To test the variousformation scenarios, we have conducted a photometric survey of 55 openclusters in the southern sky. Of these, five clusters are probably notphysically associated groups and our results for two other clusters arenot reliable, but we identify 52 definite Be stars and an additional 129Be candidates in the remaining clusters. We use our results to examinethe age and evolutionary dependence of the Be phenomenon. We find anoverall increase in the fraction of Be stars with age until 100 Myr, andBe stars are most common among the brightest, most massive B-type starsabove the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS). We show that a spin-up phase atthe terminal-age main sequence (TAMS) cannot produce the observeddistribution of Be stars, but up to 73% of the Be stars detected mayhave been spun-up by binary mass transfer. Most of the remaining Bestars were likely rapid rotators at birth. Previous studies havesuggested that low metallicity and high cluster density may also favorBe star formation. Our results indicate a possible increase in thefraction of Be stars with increasing cluster distance from the Galacticcenter (in environments of decreasing metallicity). However, the trendis not significant and could be ruled out due to the intrinsic scatterin our data. We also find no relationship between the fraction of Bestars and cluster density.
| Astrophysical parameters of Galactic open clusters
We present a catalogue of astrophysical data for 520 Galactic openclusters. These are the clusters for which at least three most probablemembers (18 on average) could be identified in the ASCC-2.5, a catalogueof stars based on the Tycho-2 observations from the Hipparcos mission.We applied homogeneous methods and algorithms to determine angular sizesof cluster cores and coronae, heliocentric distances, mean propermotions, mean radial velocities, and ages. For the first time we derivedistances for 200 clusters, radial velocities for 94 clusters, and agesof 196 clusters. This homogeneous new parameter set is compared withearlier determinations, where we find, in particular, that the angularsizes were systematically underestimated in the literature.
| Searching for Planetary Transits in Galactic Open Clusters: EXPLORE/OC
Open clusters potentially provide an ideal environment for the searchfor transiting extrasolar planets, since they feature a relatively largenumber of stars of the same known age and metallicity at the samedistance. With this motivation, over a dozen open clusters are now beingmonitored by four different groups. We review the motivations andchallenges for open cluster transit surveys for short-period giantplanets. Our photometric monitoring survey of Galactic southern openclusters, the Extrasolar Planet Occultation Research/Open Clusters(EXPLORE/OC) project, was designed with the goals of maximizing thechance of finding and characterizing planets and of providing astatistically valuable astrophysical result in the case of nodetections. We use the EXPLORE/OC data from two open clusters, NGC 2660and NGC 6208, to illustrate some of the largely unrecognized issuesfacing open cluster surveys, including severe contamination by Galacticfield stars (>80%) and the relatively low number of cluster membersfor which high-precision photometry can be obtained. We discuss how acareful selection of open cluster targets under a wide range of criteriasuch as cluster richness, observability, distance, and age can meet thechallenges, maximizing chances to detect planet transits. In addition,we present the EXPLORE/OC observing strategy to optimize planetdetection, which includes high-cadence observing and continuouslyobserving individual clusters rather than alternating between targets.
| IC 2395 and BH 47: Only one open cluster in the Vela constellation
We report UBV photoelectric photometry for 273 stars in the fields ofthe open clusters IC 2395 and BH 47. Our postulate is that, rather thantwo different clusters in this region of Vela, there is only one, whichwe call IC 2395 = BH 47. The cluster is centered at about alpha =8{h} 42fm 5, delta = -48degr 06farcm 8 (2000), itsangular diameter being ~ 19'. The analysis of the photometric datayields 61 probable cluster members and 16 possible members. Photometricmembership probabilities show good agreement with those obtained from aproper motion study for 21 stars in common. The reddening across thecluster appears to be uniform, the mean E(B-V) value being 0.09 +/-0.02. The true distance modulus is (V-MV)0 = 9.52+/- 0.10, corresponding to a distance from the Sun of (800 +/- 40) pcand 48 pc below the Galactic plane. The cluster age, determined byfitting isochrones with core overshooting, turns out to be (6 +/- 2)Myr. There is a strong likelihood that IC 2395 = BH 47 is physicallyconnected to the Vela OB1C association.
| Astrophysics in 2002
This has been the Year of the Baryon. Some low temperature ones wereseen at high redshift, some high temperature ones were seen at lowredshift, and some cooling ones were (probably) reheated. Astronomerssaw the back of the Sun (which is also made of baryons), a possiblesolution to the problem of ejection of material by Type II supernovae(in which neutrinos push out baryons), the production of R CoronaeBorealis stars (previously-owned baryons), and perhaps found the missingsatellite galaxies (whose failing is that they have no baryons). A fewquestions were left unanswered for next year, and an attempt is made todiscuss these as well.
| On the Galactic Disk Metallicity Distribution from Open Clusters. I. New Catalogs and Abundance Gradient
We have compiled two new open cluster catalogs. In the first one, thereare 119 objects with ages, distances, and metallicities available, whilein the second one, 144 objects have both absolute proper motion andradial velocity data, of which 45 clusters also have metallicity dataavailable. Taking advantage of the large number of objects included inour sample, we present an iron radial gradient of about -0.063+/-0.008dex kpc-1 from the first sample, which is quite consistentwith the most recent determination of the oxygen gradient from nebulaeand young stars, about -0.07 dex kpc-1. By dividing clustersinto age groups, we show that the iron gradient was steeper in the past,which is consistent with the recent result from Galactic planetarynebulae data, and also consistent with inside-out galactic diskformation scenarios. Based on the cluster sample, we also discuss themetallicity distribution, cluster kinematics, and space distribution. Adisk age-metallicity relation could be implied by those properties,although we cannot give conclusive result from the age- metallicitydiagram based on the current sample. More observations are needed formetal-poor clusters. From the second catalog, we have calculated thevelocity components in cylindrical coordinates with respect to theGalactic standard of rest for 144 open clusters. The velocitydispersions of the older clusters are larger than those of youngclusters, but they are all much smaller than that of the Galactic thickdisk stars.
| Proper Motions of Open Star Clusters and the Rotation Rate of the Galaxy
The mean proper motions of 167 Galactic open clusters withradial-velocity measurements are computed from the data of the Tycho-2catalog using kinematic and photometric cluster membership criteria. Theresulting catalog is compared to the results of other studies. The newproper motions are used to infer the Galactic rotation rate at the solarcircle, which is found to be ω0=+24.6±0.8 km s-1 kpc-1.Analysis of the dependence of the dispersion of ω0 estimates onheliocentric velocity showed that even the proper motions of clusterswith distances r>3 kpc contain enough useful information to be usedin kinematic studies demonstrating that the determination of propermotions is quite justified even for very distant clusters.
| NGC 2571: An intermediate-age open cluster with a White Dwarf candidate
CCD UBVI imaging photometry was carried out in the field of the opencluster NGC 2571. From the analysis of our data we state the cluster isat a distance of 1380 +/- 130 pc and its age is 50 +/- 10 x106 yr. The cluster mass function has a slope larger than atypical Salpeter's law. There are two notorious features in NGC 2571:the cluster contains a high proportion of stars located below thereference line that are serious candidates to be metallic line stars(probably Am-Fm), and shows also a sharp gap along its main sequencethat cannot be explained by a random process nor by a biased rejectionof cluster members. A striking blue object was detected in the clusterfield that could be a white dwarf candidate. Based on observationscollected at the European Southern Observatory ESO at La Silla, Chile.
| Photometric study of NGC 2571
Not Available
| Open clusters in the third galactic quadrant. I. Photometry
We have performed a photometric survey of open clusters in the thirdGalactic quadrant in order to study the star formation history andspatial structure in the Canis Major-Puppis-Vela region. In this paperwe describe a catalogue of CCD U BV RI photometry of approximately 65000 stars in the fields of 30 open clusters. The data were obtained andreduced using the same telescope, the same reduction procedures, and thesame standard photometric system, which makes this catalogue the largesthomogeneous source of open cluster photometry so far. In subsequentpapers of this series, colour-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams willbe presented which, amongst other uses, will allow the determination ofan homogeneous set of cluster reddenings, distances, and ages that willconstitute the observational basis for our studies of the spatialstructure and star formation history in the third Galactic quadrant.
| Absolute proper motions of open clusters. I. Observational data
Mean proper motions and parallaxes of 205 open clusters were determinedfrom their member stars found in the Hipparcos Catalogue. 360 clusterswere searched for possible members, excluding nearby clusters withdistances D < 200 pc. Members were selected using ground basedinformation (photometry, radial velocity, proper motion, distance fromthe cluster centre) and information provided by Hipparcos (propermotion, parallax). Altogether 630 certain and 100 possible members werefound. A comparison of the Hipparcos parallaxes with photometricdistances of open clusters shows good agreement. The Hipparcos dataconfirm or reject the membership of several Cepheids in the studiedclusters. Tables 1 and 2 are only available in electronic form at theCDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Absolute proper motions of 181 young open clusters.
Not Available
| Chemical Evolution of the Galactic Disk: Evidence for a Gradient Perpendicular to the Galactic Plane
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1995AJ....110.2813P&db_key=AST
| Catalogue of blue stragglers in open clusters.
An extensive survey of blue straggler candidates in galactic openclusters of both hemispheres is presented. The blue stragglers wereselected considering their positions in the cluster colour-magnitudediagrams.They were categorized according to the accuracy of thephotometric measurements and membership probabilities. An amount of 959blue straggler candidates in 390 open clusters of all ages wereidentified and classified. A set of basic data is given for everycluster and blue straggler. The information is arranged in the form of acatalogue. Blue stragglers are found in clusters of all ages. Thepercentage of clusters with blue stragglers generally grows with age andrichness of the clusters. The mean ratio of the number of bluestragglers to the number of cluster main sequence stars is approximatelyconstant up to a cluster age of about 10^8.6^ yr and rises for olderclusters. In general, the blue stragglers show a remarkable degree ofcentral concentration.
| The Young Open Star Clusters: Stability and Structure
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990AJ.....99..617P
| Young stellar-gas complexes in the Galaxy
It is found that about 90 percent of OB-associations and o-b2 clusterssituated within 3 kpc of the sun can be united into complexes withdiameters of 150-700 pc. Almost all of these clusters contain giantmolecular clouds with a mass greater than about 100,000 solar masses. Anumber of complexes are associated with giant H I clouds; a few of thesmall complexes are situated in the HI caverns. The concentration ofOB-associations and young clusters in star complexes attests to theircommon origin in the supergiant gaseous clouds.
| A cluster analysis of open clusters
The Galactic distribution of 361 open clusters is studied using acluster analysis method. It is shown that more than half of the clustersenter groups with characteristic dimensions of several hundred parsecs.To distinguish physical clusters from random condensations, criteriabased on age similarity, the color of the main-sequence blue end, andthe integrated color and radial velocity of the clusters are used. Theproximity of these values suggests a physical unity and common origin ofclusters in a group.
| Age distribution of open clusters as a function of their linear diameter and age-dependence of cluster masses
From the well-observed data of star clusters, the age distribution ofgalactic clusters is obtianed as a function of their linear diameter andit is concluded that the observed age distribution of clusters fordifferent linear diameter intervals within 1500 pc, is not seriouslyaffected by the selection effects. If we assume that the rate offormation of clusters is constant, the lifetimes r112 of the clustersfor different linear diameter intervals have been obtained and it isfound that the clusters with a linear diameter in the range 0-1.9 Pchave longer lifetimes than the clusters having linear diameters largerthan 2.0 Pc. Total masses of 57 clusters have been obtained using thecatalogues of Piskunov (1983) and Myakutin et al. (1984). A study ofage-dependence of cluster masses, based on the total masses of theclusters obtained in the present study and the cluster masses given byBruch and Sanders (1983) and Lynga (1983b), shows that there is adecreasing trend in the total mass with the age, however, there is anincreasing trend after the age of about 108 yr. It is also concludedthat the initial rate of formation of rich clusters was relativelyhigher than the present rate of formation
| Catalogue of UBV Photometry and MK Spectral Types in Open Clusters (Third Edition)
Not Available
| Evolution of massive stars - Comparison of cluster sequences and models with mass loss
A comparison between theoretical isochrones of models with mass loss andobserved sequences of 25 clusters younger than 25 million years, ismade. The number counts are compared with the theoretically expectedstar numbers in various parts of the isochrones, and the effects ofdifferences in mass loss rates and stellar opacities are considered. Thestudy indicates that the theoretical main sequence band with mass lossis wider than the observed main sequence band for very young clusterswith turnoff at type earlier or equal to B0, and is smaller for olderclusters. A discrepancy of 1.0-1.5 mag is found for clusters with an ageof 10-21 million years. It is suggested that some extra-mixing,overshooting, or turbulent diffusion is at the origin of the observeddifferences, with an overshooting distance to pressure scale height atthe edge of the classical convective core ratio of about 0.3 for massivestars in the range of 9-15 solar masses.
| Metallicities and Distances of Galactic Clusters as Determined from UBV Data - Part Three - Ages and Abundance Gradients of Open Clusters
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1985A&A...147...47C&db_key=AST
| Metallicities and distances of galactic clusters as determined from UBV-data. II - The metallicities and distances of 38 open clusters. III - Ages and abundance gradients of open clusters
After presenting a novel method for the simultaneous calculation of UVexcess and reddening in open clusters, the former is transformed into anFe/H abundance ratio value on the basis of the relation due to Cameron(1985), and the reddening is used to determine the distances of theclusters, incorporating a ratio of total-to-selective absorption that isboth a function of interstellar extinction and dependent on spectraltype. Metallicities and distances for 38 open clusters are therebyobtained and used to estimate the variation of metal abundance along thegalactic disk. The ages of the clusters are determined using the turnoffpoint method in the H-R diagram, and noted to cover a span of 5.1billion years. No firm relationship between cluster ages and theirmetallicity can be deduced; it is instead shown that, at a given age,there is a metallicity spread of up to + or - 0.3 dex.
| Investigation of the initial mass spectrum of open star clusters
The mass spectra of 228 open star clusters were derived by comparison ofcolor-magnitude diagrams with evolutionary tracks. The application tobinary stars showed the reliability of the mass determination. Thederived mass spectra were fitted by power laws as well as exponentiallaws. It could be shown that both approximate the mass spectra of openstar clusters on the same average significance level. The presentinvestigation revealed a correlation of the slope of the mass spectrawith the cluster age, whereas a detected correlation of the slope withgalactocentric distance is slight. The results suggest that the slope ofthe mass spectrum increases with increasing cluster and galactocentricdistance. These findings are discussed with respect to their reasons andprevious results concerning open clusters and field stars.
| Integrated Photometric Parameters of Open and Globular Clusters
Not Available
| Open clusters and galactic structure
A total of 610 references to 434 clusters are employed in thecompilation of a catalog of open clusters with color-magnitude diagramson the UBV or RGU systems. Estimates of reddening, distance modulus, ageand number of cluster members are included. Although the sample isconsidered representative of the discoverable clusters in the galaxy,the observed distribution is nonuniform because of interstellarobscuration. Cluster distribution in the galactic plane is found to bedominated by the locations of dust clouds rather than by spiralstructure. The distributions of clusters as a function of age andrichness class show that the lifetimes of poor clusters are much shorterthan rich ones, and that clusters in the outer disk survive longer thanthose in the inner disk. An outer disk age which is only about 50% theage of the globular clusters is indicated by cluster statistics. Thethickening of the galactic disk with increasing galactocentric distancemay be due to either a younger dynamical age or a lower gravitationalpotential in the outer regions.
| Comparative Studies of Young Open Clusters - Part Two - an Atlas of Composite Colour-Magnitude Diagrams
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1981A&AS...44..467M
| Catalogue of Masses and Ages of Stars in 68 Open Clusters
Not Available
| UBV analysis of the open cluster NGC 2571
UBV photographic photometry of NGC 2571 yields a distance modulus of10.41 + or - 0.14 and an age of 175 million years. A gap in thedistribution of stars has been detected, and the luminosity function hasbeen derived.
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