We present CCD photometry and spectrographic observations for stars in the open cluster NGC 346, which excites the largest H II region in the Small Magellanic Cloud. These observations show that NGC 346 is an extremely young cluster, containing more than 20 hot O-type stars. A radial-velocity study of the brightest stars, and also of the nearby supergiant Of star Sk 80, discloses atmospheric expansion due to strong stellar winds, but no large-amplitude radial-velocity variations due to short-period binary motion. However, two stars are probably longer period binaries.
We investigate the orbital motion of the Quintuplet cluster near the Galactic center with the aim of constraining formation scenarios of young, massive star clusters in nuclear environments. Three epochs of adaptive optics high-angular resolution imaging with the Keck/NIRC2 and Very Large Telescope/NAOS-CONICA systems were obtained over a time baseline of 5.8 yr, delivering an astrometric accuracy of 0.5-1 mas/yr. Proper motions were derived in the cluster reference frame and were used to distinguish cluster members from the majority of the dense field star population toward the inner bulge. Fitting the cluster and field proper motion distributions with two-dimensional (2D) Gaussian models, we derive the orbital motion of the cluster for the first time. The Quintuplet is moving with a 2D velocity of 132+/-15 km/s with respect to the field along the Galactic plane, which yields a three-dimensional orbital velocity of 167+/-15 km/s when combined with the previously known radial velocity. From a sample of 119 stars measured in three epochs, we derive an upper limit to the velocity dispersion of {sigma}_1D_< 10 km/s in the core of the Quintuplet cluster. Knowledge of the three velocity components of the Quintuplet allows us to model the cluster orbit in the potential of the inner Galaxy. Under the assumption that the Quintuplet is located in the central 200 pc at the present time, these simulations exclude the possibility that the cluster is moving on a circular orbit. Comparing the Quintuplet's orbit with our earlier measurements of the Arches' orbit, we discuss the possibility that both clusters originated in the same area of the central molecular zone (CMZ). According to the model of Binney et al., two families of stable cloud orbits are located along the major and minor axes of the Galactic bar, named x1 and x2 orbits, respectively. The formation locus of these clusters is consistent with the outermost x2 orbit and might hint at cloud collisions at the transition region between the x1 and x2 orbital families located at the tip of the minor axis of the Galactic bar. The formation of young, massive star clusters in circumnuclear rings is discussed in the framework of the channeling in of dense gas by the bar potential. We conclude that the existence of a large-scale bar plays a major role in supporting ongoing star and cluster formation, not only in nearby spiral galaxies with circumnuclear rings, but also in the Milky Way's CMZ.
We present high spatial resolution Chandra X-ray images of the NGC 2237 young stellar cluster on the periphery of the Rosette Nebula. We detect 168 X-ray sources, 80% of which have stellar counterparts in USNO, Two Micron All Sky Survey, and deep FLAMINGOS images. These constitute the first census of the cluster members with 0.2<~M<~2M_{sun}_. Star locations in near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams indicate a cluster age around 2Myr with a visual extinction of 1<~A_V_<~3 at 1.4kpc, the distance of the Rosette Nebula's main cluster NGC 2244. We derive the K-band luminosity function and the X-ray luminosity function of the cluster, which indicate a population ~400-600 stars. The X-ray-selected sample shows a K-excess disk frequency of 13%. The young Class II counterparts are aligned in an arc ~3pc long suggestive of a triggered formation process induced by the O stars in NGC 2244. The diskless Class III sources are more dispersed. Several X-ray emitting stars are located inside the molecular cloud and around gaseous pillars projecting from the cloud. This X-ray view of young stars on the western side of the Rosette Nebula complements our earlier studies of the central cluster NGC 2244 and the embedded clusters on the eastern side of the Nebula. The large-scale distribution of the clusters and molecular material is consistent with a scenario in which the rich central NGC 2244 cluster formed first, and its expanding HII region triggered the formation of the now-unobscured satellite clusters Rosette Molecular Cloud (RMC) XA and NGC 2237. A large swept-up shell material around the HII region is now in a second phase of collect-and-collapse fragmentation, leading to the recent formation of subclusters.
We report the results of a study of archival SuperWASP light curves for stars in Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco-Cen), the nearest OB association. We use SuperWASP time-series photometry to extract rotation periods for 189 candidate members of the Sco-Cen complex and verify that 162 of those are members of the classic Sco-Cen subgroups of Upper Scorpius (US), Upper Centaurus-Lupus (UCL), and Lower Centaurus-Crux (LCC). This study provides the first measurements of rotation periods explicitly for large samples of pre-main-sequence (pre-MS) stars spanning the UCL and LCC subgroups. Our final sample of 157 well-characterized pre-MS stars spans ages of ~10-20Myr, spectral types of ~F3-M0, and masses of M~=0.3-1.5 M_{sun}_^N^. For this sample, we find a distribution of stellar rotation periods with a median of P_rot_~=2.4-days, an overall range of 0.2<P_rot_<8-days, and a fairly well-defined mass-dependent upper envelope of rotation periods. This distribution of periods is consistent with recently developed stellar angular momentum evolution models. These data are significant because they represent an undersampled age range and the number of measurable rotation periods is large compared to recent studies of other regions. We also search for new examples of eclipsing disk or ring systems analogous to 1SWASP J140747.93-394542.6 (J1407), but find none. Our survey yielded five eclipsing binaries, but only one appears to be physically associated with the Sco-Cen complex. V2394 Oph is a heavily reddened (A_V_~=5mag) massive contact binary in the LDN 1689 cloud whose Gaia astrometry is clearly consistent with kinematic membership with the Ophiuchus star-forming region.
Stellar clusters are open windows to understand stellar evolution. Specifically, the change with time and the dependence on mass of different stellar properties. As such, they are our laboratories where different theories can be tested. We try to understand the origin of the connection between lithium depletion in F, G and K stars, rotation and activity, in particular in the Pleiades open cluster. We have collected all the relevant data in the literature, including information regarding rotation period, binarity and activity, and cross-matched with proper motions, multi-wavelength photometry and membership probability from the DANCe database. In order to avoid biases, only Pleiades single members with probabilities larger than 75% have been included in the discussion. Results. The analysis confirms that there is a strong link between activity, rotation and the lithium equivalent width excess, specially for the range Lum(bol)=0.5-0.2L_{sun}_ (about K2-K7 spectral types or 0.75-0.95M_{sun}_). It is not possible to disentangle these effects but we cannot exclude that the observed lithium overabundance is partially an observational effect due to enhanced activity, due to a large coverage by stellar spots induced by high rotation rates. Since a bona fide lithium enhancement is present in young, fast rotators, both activity and rotation should play a role in the lithium problem.
The DANCe survey provides photometric and astrometric (position and proper motion) measurements for approximately 2 millions unique sources in a region encompassing approximately 80deg^2^ centered around the Pleiades cluster. We aim at deriving a complete census of the Pleiades, and measure the mass and luminosity function of the cluster. Using the probabilistic selection method described in Sarro et al. (2014A&A...563A..45S, Cat. J/A+A/563/A45), we identify high probability members in the DANCe (i>14mag) and Tycho-2 (V<12mag) catalogues, and study the properties of the cluster over the corresponding luminosity range. We find a total of 2109 high probability members, of which 812 are new, making it the most extensive and complete census of the cluster to date. The luminosity and mass functions of the cluster are computed from the most massive members down to 0.025M_{sun}_. The size, sensitivity and quality of the sample result in the most precise luminosity and mass functions observed to date for a cluster. Our census supersedes previous studies of the Pleiades cluster populations, both in terms of sensitivity and accuracy.
We present the spectroscopic analysis of 333 OB-type stars extracted from VLT-MUSE observations of the central 30x30pc of NGC 2070 in the Tarantula Nebula on the Large Magellanic Cloud, the majority of which are analysed for the first time. The distribution of stars in the spectroscopic Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (sHRD) shows 281 stars in the main sequence. We find two groups in the main sequence, with estimated ages of 2.1+/-0.8 and 6.2+/-2Myr. A subgroup of 52 stars is apparently beyond the main sequence phase, which we consider to be due to emission-type objects and/or significant nebular contamination affecting the analysis. As in previous studies, stellar masses derived from the sHRD are systematically larger than those obtained from the conventional HRD, with the differences being largest for the most massive stars. Additionally, we do not find any trend between the estimated projected rotational velocity and evolution in the sHRD. The projected rotational velocity distribution presents a tail of fast rotators that resembles findings in the wider population of 30 Doradus. We use published spectral types to calibrate the HeI{lambda}4921/HeII{lambda}5411 equivalent-width ratio as a classification diagnostic for early-type main sequence stars when the classical blue-visible region is not observed. Our model-atmosphere analyses demonstrate that the resulting calibration is well correlated with effective temperature.
Young open clusters located in the outer Galaxy provide us with an opportunity to study star formation activity in a different environment from the solar neighborhood. We present a UBVI and H{alpha} photometric study of the young open clusters NGC 1624 and NGC 1931 that are situated toward the Galactic anticenter. Various photometric diagrams are used to select the members of the clusters and to determine the fundamental parameters. NGC 1624 and NGC 1931 are, on average, reddened by <E(B-V)>=0.92+/-0.05 and 0.74+/-0.17mag, respectively. The properties of the reddening toward NGC 1931 indicate an abnormal reddening law (R_V,cl_=5.2+/-0.3). Using the zero-age main sequence fitting method we confirm that NGC 1624 is 6.0+/-0.6kpc away from the Sun, whereas NGC 1931 is at a distance of 2.3+/-0.2kpc. The results from isochrone fitting in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram indicate the ages of NGC 1624 and NGC 1931 to be less than 4 and 1.5-2.0Myr, respectively. We derived the initial mass function (IMF) of the clusters. The slope of the IMF ({Gamma}_NGC1624_=-2.0+/-0.2 and {Gamma}_NGC1931_=-2.0+/-0.1) appears to be steeper than that of the Salpeter/Kroupa IMF. We discuss the implication of the derived IMF based on simple Monte-Carlo simulations and conclude that the property of star formation in the clusters does not seem to be significantly different from that in the solar neighborhood.
The SOS. VII. UBVI photometry of open cluster IC 1590
Short Name:
J/AJ/162/140
Date:
21 Mar 2022 00:39:36
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
Young open clusters are ideal laboratories to understand the star formation process. We present deep UBVI and H{alpha} photometry for the young open cluster IC1590 in the center of the HII region NGC281. Early-type members are selected from UBV photometric diagrams, and low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) members are identified by using H{alpha} photometry. In addition, the published X-ray source list and Gaia astrometric data are also used to isolate probable members. A total of 408 stars are selected as members. The mean reddening obtained from early-type members is <E(B-V)>=0.40{+/-}0.06(s.d.). We confirm the abnormal extinction law for the intracluster medium. The distance modulus to the cluster determined from the zero-age main-sequence fitting method is 12.3{+/-}0.2mag (d=2.88{+/-}0.28kpc), which is consistent with the distance d=2.70_-0.20_^+0.24^kpc from the recent Gaia parallaxes. We also estimate the ages and masses of individual members by means of stellar evolutionary models. The mode of the age of PMS stars is about 0.8Myr. The initial mass function of IC1590 is derived. It appears to be a steeper shape ({Gamma}=-1.49{+/-}0.14) than that of the Salpeter/Kroupa initial mass function for the high-mass regime (m>1M{sun}). The signature of mass segregation is detected from the difference in the slopes of the initial mass functions for the inner (r<2.5') and outer regions of this cluster. We finally discuss the star formation history in NGC281.
With an apparent cluster diameter of 1.5deg and an age of ~4Myr, Trumpler 37 is an ideal target for photometric monitoring of young stars as well as for the search of planetary transits, eclipsing binaries and other sources of variability. The YETI consortium has monitored Trumpler 37 throughout 2010 and 2011 to obtain a comprehensive view of variable phenomena in this region. In this first paper we present the cluster properties and membership determination as derived from an extensive investigation of the literature. We also compared the coordinate list to some YETI images. For 1872 stars we found literature data. Among them 774 have high probability of being member and 125 a medium probability. Based on infrared data we re-calculate a cluster extinction of 0.9-1.2mag. We can confirm the age and distance to be 3-5Myr and ~870pc. Stellar masses are determined from theoretical models and the mass function is fitted with a power-law index of {alpha}=1.90 (0.1-0.4M_{sun}_) and {alpha}=1.12 (1-10M_{sun}_).