INVESTIGADORES
AHUMADA Andrea Veronica
artículos
Título:
Ruprecht 3: An old star cluster remnant?
Autor/es:
PAVANI, D. B.; BICA, E.; AHUMADA, A. V.; CLARIÁ, J. J.
Revista:
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Editorial:
EDP SCIENCES S A
Referencias:
Lugar: Paris; Año: 2003 vol. 399 p. 113 - 120
ISSN:
0004-6361
Resumen:
2MASS J and H photometry and integrated spectroscopy are employed to
study the nature of the poorly populated compact concentration of stars
Ruprecht 3, which was previously catalogued as an open cluster. The
integrated spectrum remarkably resembles that of a moderately metal-rich
globular cluster. The distribution of the object stars in the
colour-magnitude diagram is compatible with that of a 1.5 +/- 0.5 Gyr
open cluster or older, depending on whether the bluer stars are
interpreted as turnoff stars or blue stragglers, respectively. We derive
for the object a distance from the Sun dsun = 0.72
+0.04-0.03 kpc and a colour excess E(B-V) = 0.04.
Although a globular cluster remnant cannot be ruled out, the integrated
spectrum resemblance to that of a globular cluster probably reflects a
stochastic effect owing to the few brighter stars. The structural and
photometric properties of Ruprecht 3 are compatible with what would be
expected for an intermediate-age open cluster remnant.