Dynamics of double open clusters in the galactic field

Data from catalogs of multiple open star clusters (OSCs) have been used to compile a list of double and triple OSCs. Seven pairs of young OSCs with similar ages of their components have been selected from them. The dynamical evolution of the selected pairs of clusters in the Galactic gravitational field has been simulated numerically. The individual cluster masses have been estimated and the time dependences of the separations between the clusters have been constructed. The separations between the clusters are shown to exceed the tidal cluster radii. Various hypotheses of the origin of double OSCs are discussed: chance formations of pairs, formation within the same star complex, etc.     

Modelling rich clusters of galaxies

We develop a self-consistent dynamical model for spherically-symmetric clusters of galaxies. The total mass profile and velocity dispersion profiles of galaxies are derived by taking both, galaxies and intracluster gas, in hydrostatic equilibrium, and by assuming the latter to follow a polytropic distributionT^–1. We use the strongest and better established correlations among observed properties of clusters to fix the values of the resulting free parameters, and so, to reduce the general freedom of the model.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Orientation of first-ranked galaxies in rich clusters

We present new evidence that first ranked galaxies are aligned with their parent cluster and with the direction of the nearest neighbour cluster (scale 15h ^–1 Mpc). The effect is stronger for cD and gE galaxies than for first-ranked galaxies of later type. The relevance of this result for different galaxy formation scenarios is discussed. In hierarchical clustering scenarios like the cold dark matter theory, galactic halos and clusters of galaxies are expected to have moderate asphericity. We present some numerical results of an on-going study of the dissipationless collapse of moderately aspherical systems. Our results indicate that the central part of the collapsed and virialized system does show the large scale elongation imposed by the initial conditions. It is pointed out that this may have important implications also for the properties of disk galaxies in dark halos.     

The mass-to-light ratio of rich star clusters

We point out a strong time evolution of the mass-to-light conversion factor, η, commonly used to estimate masses of unresolved star clusters from observed cluster spectrophotometric measures. We present a series of gas-dynamical models, coupled with the Cambridge stellar evolution tracks, to compute line-of-sight velocity dispersions and half-light radii weighted by the luminosity. We explore a range of initial conditions, varying in turn the cluster mass and/or density, and the stellar population’s initial mass function. We find that η, and hence the estimated cluster mass, may increase by as much as a factor of three over time-scales of 50 million yr. We apply these results to an hypothetic cluster mass distribution function (d.f.), and show that the d.f. shape may be strongly affected at the low-mass end by this effect. Fitting truncated isothermal (Michie–King) models to the projected light profile leads to over-estimates of the concentration parameter, c, of δ c≈0.3 compared to the same functional fit applied to the projected mass density.     

Two populations of open clusters

The paper proposes a division of the local open clusters into two different disklike subpopulations on the base of the metallicity enhancement history, spatial distribution in the Galaxy and morphology of their C-M diagrams. The thin disk population objects exhibit higher metallicities and are more closely concentrated to the center and the disk of the Galaxy than the thick disk clusters. The former contain also frequently blue stragglers while the later exhibit the presence of Clump giant members, typical for the thick disk globular clusters. Kinematical properties of the two considered open cluster subpopulations remain unknown due to the lack of observational data.     

uvby photometry of open clusters

Für insgesamt 40 Stern im Gebiet des verfärbten offenen Haufens NGC 6871 erhieken wir eine uvby Photometric. 21 dieser Sterne klassifizierten definitely as members. From the photometric results we derived 1.2 × 10⁷ years as the cluster age, 2440 pc as its distance, and E(b - y)) = 0.348 mag as mean reddening of the cluster. From the scatter around this mean colour excess and the deviation of a subgroup of stars by more than twice the standard deviation a varible intracluster reddening in order of 0.1 mag is indicated. The value of the colour excess ratio E(b - y)/E(B - V) = 0.705 for the cluster stars leads us to the conclusion that the very broadband structure (VBS) in the spectra of the cluster stars must be very weak. Für insgesamt 40 Stern im Gebiet des verfärbten offenen Haufens NGC 6871 erhielten wir eine uvby Photometrie. 21 dieser Sterne klassifizieren wir definitiv als Haufenmitglieder. Aus den photometrischen Ergebnissen leiteten wir ein Haufenalter von 1.2 × 10⁷ Jahren, eine Entfernung von 2440 pc und eine Verfärbung E (b - y) = 0.348 mag ab. Aus der Streuung um diesen mittleren Farbexzeß und der Tatsache, daß eine Gruppe von Sternen um mehr als die doppelte Standardabweichung von diesem Wert differiert, läßt sich eine Verfärbung innerhalb des Haufens in der Größenordnung von 0.1 mag vermuten. Aus der Größe des Farbexzeßverhältnisses E(b - y )/E(B - V) = 0.705 schließen wir, daß die Breitbandstruktur (VBS) in den Spektren der Haufensterne nur sehr schwach ausgeprägt sein kann.     

Evolution of the near-infrared in rich galaxy clusters

We present the K -band (2.2 μm) luminosity functions (LFs) of the X-ray-luminous clusters MS1054–0321 ( z  = 0.823), MS0451–0305 ( z  = 0.55), Abell 963 ( z  = 0.206), Abell 665 ( z  = 0.182) and Abell 1795 ( z  = 0.063) down to absolute magnitudes M _K  = −20. Our measurements probe fainter absolute magnitudes than do any previous studies of the near-infrared LFs of clusters. All the clusters are found to have similar LFs within the errors, when the galaxy populations are evolved to redshift z  = 0. It is known that the most massive bound systems in the Universe at all redshifts are X-ray-luminous clusters. Therefore, assuming that the clusters in our sample correspond to a single population seen at different redshifts, the results here imply that not only had the stars in present-day ellipticals in rich clusters formed by z  = 0.8, but that they existed in as luminous galaxies then as they do today.   Additionally, the clusters have K -band LFs which appear to be consistent with the K -band field LF in the range −24 <  M _K  < −22, although the uncertainties in both the field and cluster samples are large.     

Collaborative research of open star clusters

Preliminary results on observations of open clusters are presented. The project has been initiated in the framework of the Uzbek-Taiwan and Taiwan-Baltic collaboration, mainly to upgrade and make use of facilities at Maidanak Observatory. We present detailed, multiwavelength studies of the young cluster NGC 6823 and the associated complex nebulosity, to diagnose the young stellar population and star formation history in the region. In addition, 7 compact open clusters have been monitored for stellar variability. We show how observations like these could feasibly be used to look for exoplanet transit events. We also expect to join the Whole-Earth Telescope effort in future campaigns for asteroseismology.     

New polar ring galaxies in rich clusters of galaxies

Four polar ring galaxies discovered in rich clusters of galaxies are presented. Brief comments on their structural properties are given.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Be phenomenon in open clusters: results from a survey of emission-line stars in young open clusters

Emission-line stars in young open clusters are identified to study their properties, as a function of age, spectral type and evolutionary state. 207 open star clusters were observed using the slitless spectroscopy method and 157 emission stars were identified in 42 clusters. We have found 54 new emission-line stars in 24 open clusters, out of which 19 clusters are found to house emission stars for the first time. About 20 per cent clusters harbour emission stars. The fraction of clusters housing emission stars is maximum in both the 0–10 and 20–30 Myr age bin (∼40 per cent each). Most of the emission stars in our survey belong to Classical Be class (∼92 per cent) while a few are Herbig Be stars (∼6 per cent) and Herbig Ae stars (∼2 per cent). The youngest clusters to have Classical Be stars are IC 1590, NGC 637 and 1624 (all 4 Myr old) while NGC 6756 (125–150 Myr) is the oldest cluster to have Classical Be stars. The Classical Be stars are located all along the main sequence (MS) in the optical colour–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of clusters of all ages, which indicates that the Be phenomenon is unlikely due to core contraction near the turn-off. The distribution of Classical Be stars as a function of spectral type shows peaks at B1–B2 and B6–B7 spectral types. The Be star fraction [N(Be)/N(B+Be)] is found to be less than 10 per cent for most of the clusters and NGC 2345 is found to have the largest fraction (∼26 per cent). Our results indicate there could be two mechanisms responsible for the Classical Be phenomenon. Some are born Classical Be stars (fast rotators), as indicated by their presence in clusters younger than 10 Myr. Some stars evolve to Classical Be stars, within the MS lifetime, as indicated by the enhancement in the fraction of clusters with Classical Be stars in the 20–30 Myr age bin.     

Brown dwarf populations in open clusters

We present the results of multiple simulations of open clusters, modelling the dynamics of a population of brown dwarf members. We consider the effects of a large range of primordial binary populations, including the possibilities of having brown dwarf members contained within a binary system. We also examine the effects of various cluster diameters and masses. Our examination of a population of wide binary systems containing brown dwarfs, reveals evidence for exchange reactions whereby the brown dwarf is ejected from the system and replaced by a heavier main-sequence star. We find that there exists the possibility of hiding a large fraction of the brown dwarfs contained within the primordial binary population. We conclude that it is probable that the majority of brown dwarfs are contained within primordial binary systems which then hides a large proportion of them from detection.     

Yttrium and barium in open clusters

Based on the VLT high-resolution spectra for stars of five open clusters: Ruprecht 4, Ruprecht 7, Berkeley 25, Berkeley 73, and Berkeley 75 (G. Carraro et al., 2007) we determined the yttrium and barium abundances using the synthetic-spectrum method. Barium abundance was calculated under a non-LTE approximation. We analyzed the correlation between yttrium and barium abundances and the ages of open clusters and stars of the Galactic thin disk.     

Kinematical distances to open star clusters

Kinematical distances are estimated for six open star clusters. They agree fairly well with the photometric distances. The kinematical distances cannot, at present, be estimated better than the photometric distances. When more accurate proper motion measurements become available the kinematical distances will improve considerably and may then be used to calibrate the cosmic distance scale.