Description
Based on a deep optical CCD (UBV(RI)_C) photometric survey and on the Two-Micron All-Sky-Survey (2MASS, <II/246>) data we derived the main parameters of the open cluster NGC 2401. We found this cluster is placed at 6.3+/-0.5kpc (Vo-Mv=14.0+/-0.2) from the Sun and is 25Myr old, what allows us to identify NGC 2401 as a member of the young population belonging to the innermost side of the extension of the Norma-Cygnus spiral-arm in the Third Galactic Quadrant. A spectroscopic study of the emission star LSS 440 that lies in the cluster area revealed it is a B0Ve star; however, we could not confirm it is a cluster member. We also constructed the cluster luminosity function (LF) down to V~22 and the cluster initial mass function (IMF) for all stars with masses above M~1-2M_{sun}_. It was found that the slope of the cluster IMF is x~1.8+/-0.2. The presence of a probable PMS star population associated to the cluster is weakly revealed.
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