In this study, we follow up our recent paper (Monteiro et al. 2020) and present a homogeneous sample of fundamental parameters of open clusters in our Galaxy, entirely based on Gaia DR2 data. We used published membership probability of the stars derived from Gaia DR2 data and applied our isochrone fitting code, updated as in Monteiro et al. ( 2020), to GBP and GRPGaia DR2 data for member stars. In doing this, we take into account the nominal errors in the data and derive distance, age, and extinction of each cluster. This work therefore provides parameters for 1743 open clusters and, as a by-product, a list of likely not physical or dubious open clusters is provided as well for future investigations. Furthermore, it was possible to estimate the mean radial velocity of 831 clusters (198 of which are new and unpublished so far), using stellar radial velocities from Gaia DR2 catalogue. By comparing the open cluster distances obtained from isochrone fitting with those obtained from a maximum likelihood estimate of individual member parallaxes, we found a systematic offset of (−0.05 ± 0.04) mas.
We present a catalog of mean proper motions and membership probabilities of individual stars for optically visible open clusters, which have been determined using data from the UCAC4 catalog in a homogeneous way. The mean proper motion of the cluster and the membership probabilities of the stars in the region of each cluster were determined by applying the statistical method in a modified fashion. In this study, we applied a global optimization procedure to fit the observed distribution of proper motions with two overlapping normal bivariate frequency functions, which also take the individual proper motion errors into account. For 724 clusters, this is the first determination of proper motion, and for the whole sample, we present results with a much larger number of identified astrometric member stars. Furthermore, it was possible to estimate the mean radial velocity of 364 clusters (102 unpublished so far) with the stellar membership using published radial velocity catalogs. These results provide an increase of 30% and 19% in the sample of open clusters with a determined mean absolute proper motion and mean radial velocity, respectively.
2 May 2019 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
In this work we revisit the issue of the rotation speed of the spiral arms and the location of the corotation radius of our Galaxy. This research was performed using homogeneous data set of young open clusters (age < 50 Myr) determined from Gaia DR2 data. The stellar astrometric membership were determined using proper motions and parallaxes, taking into account the full covariance matrix. The distance, age, reddening and metallicity of the clusters were determined by our non subjective multidimensional global optimization tool to fit theoretical isochrones to Gaia DR2 photometric data. The rotation speed of the arms is obtained from the relation between age and angular distance of the birthplace of the clusters to the present-day position of the arms. Using the clusters belonging to the Sagittarius-Carina, Local and Perseus arms, and adopting the Galactic parameters R0 = 8.3 kpc and V0 = 240 km s−1, we determine a pattern speed of 28.2 ± 2.1 km s−1 kpc−1, with no difference between the arms. This implies that the corotation radius is Rc = 8.51 ± 0.64 kpc, close to the solar Galactic orbit (Rc/R0 = 1.02 ± 0.07).
28 August 2018 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
We present a study of seven southern open clusters based on UBVRI CCD photometry (Johnsons-Cousins system) and Gaia DR2 data. Dias 4, Dias 6, and four other clusters had UBVRI photometric observations determined for the first time. From the observational UBVRI data we obtained photometric membership probability estimates and, using the proper motions from the UCAC5 catalogue, we also determined the kinematic membership. From Gaia DR2 astrometric data we determine the stellar membership using proper motions and parallaxes, taking into account the full covariance matrix. For both independent sets of data and membership we apply our non-subjective multidimensional global optimization tool to fit theoretical isochrones to determine the distance, age, reddening, metallicity, and binary fraction of the clusters. The results of the mean proper motions, distances, and ages are in agreement, but the ones obtained from Gaia DR2 data are more precise in both membership selection and estimated parameters. In the case of NGC 6087, the Cepheid S Nor, member of the open cluster, was used to obtain an independent distance estimate, confirming the one determined by our fitting method. We also report a serendipitous discovery of two new clusters in the extended field near what was originally Dias 4.
Canis Major OB1 (CMa OB1) is a Galactic stellar association with a very intriguing star-formation scenario. There are more than two dozen known star clusters in its line of sight, but it is not clear which ones are physically associated with CMa OB1. We use a clustering code that employs five-dimensional data from the Gaia DR2 catalogue to identify physical groups and obtain their astrometric parameters and, in addition, we use two different isochrone-fitting methods to estimate the ages of these groups. We find 15 stellar groups with distances between 570 and 1650 pc, including 10 previously known and five new open cluster candidates. Four groups, precisely the youngest ones (< 20 Myr), CMa05, CMa06, CMa07, and CMa08, are confirmed to be part of CMa OB1. We find that CMa08, a new cluster candidate, may be the progenitor cluster of runaway stars. CMa06 coincides with the well-studied CMa R1 star-forming region. While CMa06 is still forming stars, due to the remaining material of the molecular cloud associated with the Sh 2-262 nebula, CMa05, CMa07, and CMa08 seem to be in more evolved stages of evolution, with no recent star-forming activity. The properties of these CMa OB1 physical groups fit well in a monolithic scenario of star formation, with a common formation mechanism, and having suffered multiple episodes of star formation. This suggests that the hierarchical model alone, which explains the populations of other parts of the same association, is not sufficient to explain its whole formation history.