On the metallicity of open clusters Netopil, M; Paunzen, E; Heiter, U ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
1/2016, Letnik:
585
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Open clusters are known as excellent tools for various topics in Galactic research. For example, they allow accurately tracing the chemical structure of the Galactic disc. Therefore, a large and ...homogeneous sample is highly desirable. In the third part of our series we compile a large sample of homogenised open cluster metallicities using a wide variety of different sources. These data and a sample of Cepheids are used to investigate the radial metallicity gradient, age effects, and to test current models. We used photometric and spectroscopic data to derive cluster metallicities. The different sources were checked and tested for possible offsets and correlations. Apart from the Cepheids, open clusters are the best tracers for metallicity over large Galactocentric distances in the Milky Way. Our compilation is currently by far the largest and provides the basis for several basic studies such as the statistical treatment of the Galactic cluster population, or evolutionary studies of individual star groups in open clusters.
Context.
The large astrometric and photometric survey performed by the
Gaia
mission allows for a panoptic view of the Galactic disc and its stellar cluster population. Hundreds of stellar clusters ...were only discovered after the latest
Gaia
data release (DR2) and have yet to be characterised.
Aims.
Here we make use of the deep and homogeneous
Gaia
photometry down to
G
= 18 to estimate the distance, age, and interstellar reddening for about 2000 stellar clusters identified with
Gaia
DR2 astrometry. We use these objects to study the structure and evolution of the Galactic disc.
Methods.
We relied on a set of objects with well-determined parameters in the literature to train an artificial neural network to estimate parameters from the
Gaia
photometry of cluster members and their mean parallax.
Results.
We obtain reliable parameters for 1867 clusters. Our catalogue confirms the relative lack of old stellar clusters in the inner disc (with a few notable exceptions). We also quantify and discuss the variation of scale height with cluster age, and we detect the Galactic warp in the distribution of old clusters.
Conclusions.
This work results in a large and homogeneous cluster catalogue, allowing one to trace the structure of the disc out to distances of ∼4 kpc. However, the present sample is still unable to trace the outer spiral arm of the Milky Way, which indicates that the outer disc cluster census might still be incomplete.
Context. Open clusters are convenient probes of the structure and history of the Galactic disk. They are also fundamental to stellar evolution studies. The second Gaia data release contains precise ...astrometry at the submilliarcsecond level and homogeneous photometry at the mmag level, that can be used to characterise a large number of clusters over the entire sky. Aims. In this study we aim to establish a list of members and derive mean parameters, in particular distances, for as many clusters as possible, making use of Gaia data alone. Methods. We compiled a list of thousands of known or putative clusters from the literature. We then applied an unsupervised membership assignment code, UPMASK, to the Gaia DR2 data contained within the fields of those clusters. Results. We obtained a list of members and cluster parameters for 1229 clusters. As expected, the youngest clusters are seen to be tightly distributed near the Galactic plane and to trace the spiral arms of the Milky Way, while older objects are more uniformly distributed, deviate further from the plane, and tend to be located at larger Galactocentric distances. Thanks to the quality of Gaia DR2 astrometry, the fully homogeneous parameters derived in this study are the most precise to date. Furthermore, we report on the serendipitous discovery of 60 new open clusters in the fields analysed during this study.
Context.
The iron abundance Fe/H in the atmosphere of FGK-type stars is crucial in stellar and galactic physics. The number of stars with a measured value of Fe/H is increasing considerably thanks to ...spectroscopic surveys. However, different methodologies, inputs, and assumptions used in spectral analyses lead to different precisions in Fe/H and possibly to systematic differences, which need to be evaluated. It is essential to understand the characteristics of each survey to fully exploit their potential, in particular if the surveys are combined to probe a larger galactic volume and to improve statistics.
Aims.
The purpose of this study is to compare Fe/H determinations from the largest spectroscopic surveys to other catalogues taken as reference. Offsets and dispersions of the residuals are examined, as are their trends with other parameters. The investigated surveys are the latest public releases of APOGEE, GALAH, RAVE, LAMOST, SEGUE, and the
Gaia
-ESO Survey.
Methods.
We use reference samples that provide independent determinations of Fe/H, which are compared to those from the surveys for common stars. The distribution of the residuals is assessed through simple statistics that measure the offset between two catalogues and the dispersion representative of the precision of both catalogues. When relevant, linear fits are performed. A large sample of FGK-type stars with Fe/H based on high-resolution, high-signal-to-noise spectroscopy was built from the PASTEL catalogue to provide a reference sample. We also use FGK members in open and globular clusters to assess the internal consistency of Fe/H of each survey. The agreement of median Fe/H values for clusters observed by different surveys is discussed.
Results.
All the surveys overestimate the low metallicities, and some of them also underestimate the high metallicities. They perform well in the most populated intermediate metallicity range whatever the resolution. In most cases, the typical precision that we deduce from the comparisons is in good agreement with the uncertainties quoted in the catalogues. Some exceptions to this general behaviour are discussed.
Context. In the era of large Galactic stellar surveys, carefully calibrating and validating the data sets has become an important and integral part of the data analysis. Moreover, new generations of ...stellar atmosphere models and spectral line formation computations need to be subjected to benchmark tests to assess any progress in predicting stellar properties. Aims. We focus on cool stars and aim at establishing a sample of 34 Gaia FGK benchmark stars with a range of different metallicities. The goal was to determine the effective temperature and the surface gravity independently of spectroscopy and atmospheric models as far as possible. Most of the selected stars have been subjected to frequent spectroscopic investigations in the past, and almost all of them have previously been used as reference, calibration, or test objects. Methods. Fundamental determinations of Teff and log g were obtained in a systematic way from a compilation of angular diameter measurements and bolometric fluxes and from a homogeneous mass determination based on stellar evolution models. The derived parameters were compared to recent spectroscopic and photometric determinations and to gravity estimates based on seismic data. Results. Most of the adopted diameter measurements have formal uncertainties around 1%, which translate into uncertainties in effective temperature of 0.5%. The measurements of bolometric flux seem to be accurate to 5% or better, which contributes about 1% or less to the uncertainties in effective temperature. The comparisons of parameter determinations with the literature in general show good agreements with a few exceptions, most notably for the coolest stars and for metal-poor stars. Conclusions. The sample consists of 29 FGK-type stars and 5 M giants. Among the FGK stars, 21 have reliable parameters suitable for testing, validation, or calibration purposes. For four stars, future adjustments of the fundamental Teff are required, and for five stars the log g determination needs to be improved. Future extensions of the sample of Gaia FGK benchmark stars are required to fill gaps in parameter space, and we include a list of suggested candidates.
Context. The Gaia Second Data Release provides precise astrometry and photometry for more than 1.3 billion sources. This catalog opens a new era concerning the characterization of open clusters and ...test stellar models, paving the way for better understanding of the disk properties. Aims. The aim of the paper is to improve the knowledge of cluster parameters, using only the unprecedented quality of the Gaia photometry and astrometry. Methods. We have made use of the membership determination based on the precise Gaia astrometry and photometry. We applied an automated Bayesian tool, BASE-9, to fit stellar isochrones on the observed G, GBP, GRP magnitudes of the high probability member stars. Results. We derive parameters such as age, distance modulus, and extinction for a sample of 269 open clusters, selecting only low reddening objects and discarding very young clusters, for which techniques other than isochrone-fitting are more suitable for estimating ages.
Context.
The possibility of identifying co-natal stars that have dispersed into the Galactic disc based on chemistry alone is called strong chemical tagging. It has been debated for a long time ...whether this is indeed feasible; it holds the promise of reconstructing the detailed star formation history of a large fraction of stars in the Galactic disc.
Aims.
We investigate the feasibility of strong chemical tagging using known member stars of open clusters.
Methods.
We analysed the largest sample of cluster members that have been homogeneously characterised with high-resolution differential abundances for 16 different elements. We also investigated the possibility of finding the known clusters in the APOGEE DR16 red clump sample with 18 chemical species. For both purposes, we used a clustering algorithm and an unsupervised dimensionality reduction technique to blindly search for groups of stars in chemical space.
Results.
Even if the internal coherence of the stellar abundances in the same cluster is high, typically 0.03 dex, the overlap in the chemical signatures of the clusters is large. In the sample with the highest precision and no field stars, we only recover 9 out of the 31 analysed clusters at a 40% threshold of homogeneity and precision. This ratio slightly increases when we only use clusters with 7 or more members. In the APOGEE sample, field stars are present along with four populated clusters. In this case, only one of the open clusters was moderately recovered.
Conclusions.
In our best-case scenario, more than 70% of the groups of stars are in fact statistical groups that contain stars belonging to different real clusters. This indicates that the chances of recovering the majority of birth clusters dissolved in the field are slim, even with the most advanced clustering techniques. We show that different stellar birth sites can have overlapping chemical signatures, even when high-resolution abundances of many different nucleosynthesis channels are used. This is substantial evidence against the possibility of strong chemical tagging. However, we can hope to recover some particular birth clusters that stand out at the edges of the chemical distribution.
Context.
The distribution of member stars in the surroundings of an open cluster (OC) can shed light on the process of its formation, evolution, and dissolution. The analysis of structural parameters ...of OCs as a function of their age and position in the Galaxy constrains theoretical models of cluster evolution. The
Gaia
catalog is very appropriate for finding members of OCs at large distance from their centers.
Aims.
We revisit the membership lists of OCs from the solar vicinity, in particular, by extending these membership lists to the peripheral areas through
Gaia
EDR3. We then take advantage of these new member lists to study the morphological properties and the mass segregation levels of the clusters.
Methods.
We used the clustering algorithm HDBSCAN on
Gaia
parallaxes and proper motions to systematically search for members up to 50 pc from the cluster centers. We fit a King’s function on the radial density profile of these clusters and a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) on their two-dimensional member distribution to study their shape. We also evaluated the degree of mass segregation of the clusters and the correlations of these parameters with the age and Galactic position of the clusters.
Results.
Our method performs well on 389 clusters out of the 467 clusters we selected, including several recently discovered clusters that were poorly studied until now. We report the detection of vast coronae around almost all the clusters and report the detection of 71 OCs with tidal tails. This multiplies the number of these structures that are identified by more than four. The size of the cores is smaller for old clusters than for young ones on average. Moreover, the overall size of the clusters seems to increase slightly with age, but the fraction of stars in the halo seems to decrease. As expected, the mass segregation is more pronounced in the oldest clusters, but no clear trend with age is evident.
Conclusions.
OCs are more extended than previously expected, regardless of their age. The decrease in the proportion of stars populating the clusters halos highlights the different cluster evaporation processes and the short timescales they need to affect the clusters. Reported parameters such as cluster sizes or mass segregation levels all depend on cluster ages, but cannot be described as single functions of time.
The Gaia FGK benchmark stars Blanco-Cuaresma, S; Soubiran, C; Jofre, P ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
06/2014, Letnik:
566
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Context. An increasing number of high-resolution stellar spectra is available today thanks to many past and ongoing spectroscopic surveys. Consequently, numerous methods have been developed to ...perform an automatic spectral analysis on a massive amount of data. When reviewing published results, biases arise and they need to be addressed and minimized. Aims. We are providing a homogeneous library with a common set of calibration stars (known as the Gaia FGK benchmark stars) that will allow us to assess stellar analysis methods and calibrate spectroscopic surveys. Methods. High-resolution and signal-to-noise spectra were compiled from different instruments. We developed an automatic process to homogenize the observed data and assess the quality of the resulting library. Results. We built a high-quality library that will facilitate the assessment of spectral analyses and the calibration of present and future spectroscopic surveys. The automation of the process minimizes the human subjectivity and ensures reproducibility. Additionally, it allows us to quickly adapt the library to specific needs that can arise from future spectroscopic analyses.
Context.
Open clusters (OCs) trace the evolution of the Galactic disc with great accuracy.
Gaia
and large ground-based spectroscopic surveys make it possible to determine their properties and study ...their kinematics with unprecedented precision.
Aims.
We study the kinematical behaviour of the OC population over time. We take advantage of the latest age determinations of OCs to investigate the correlations of the 6D phase-space coordinates and orbital properties with age. The phase-space distribution, age-velocity relation, and action distribution are compared to those of field stars. We also investigate the rotation curve of the Milky Way traced by OCs, and we compare it to that of other observational or theoretical studies.
Methods.
We gathered nearly 30 000 radial velocity (RV) measurements of OC members from both
Gaia
-RVS data and ground-based surveys and catalogues. We computed the weighted mean RV, Galactic velocities, and orbital parameters of 1382 OCs. We investigated their distributions as a function of age and by comparison to field stars.
Results.
We provide the largest RV catalogue available for OCs, half of it based on at least three members. Compared to field stars, we note that OCs are not on exactly the same arches in the radial-azimuthal velocity plane, while they seem to follow the same diagonal ridges in the Galactic radial distribution of azimuthal velocities. Velocity ellipsoids in different age bins all show a clear anisotropy. The heating rate of the OC population is similar to that of field stars for the radial and azimuthal components, but it is significantly lower for the vertical component. The rotation curve drawn by our sample of clusters shows several dips that match the wiggles derived from nonaxisymmetric models of the Galaxy. From the computation of orbits, we obtain a clear dependence of the maximum height and eccentricity on age. Finally, the orbital characteristics of the sample of clusters as shown by the action variables follow the distribution of field stars. The additional age information of the clusters indicates some (weak) age dependence of the known moving groups.
PDF