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Globular cluster (GC) stars composed of pristine material, also known as first-generation (1G) stars, are not chemically homogeneous as they exhibit extended sequences in the chromosome map (ChM). Recent studies characterized 1G stars within the center of 55 Galactic GCs, revealing metallicity variations. Despite this progress, several unanswered questions persist, particularly concerning the link between the 1G metallicity spread and factors such as the radial distance from the cluster center or the host GC parameters. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the extended 1G sequence phenomenon is exclusive to old Galactic GCs with multiple populations. This work addresses these open issues, examining 1G stars in different environments. First, we combine Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and James Webb Space Telescope photometry of the GC 47 Tucanae to study 1G stars at increasing distances from the cluster center. We find that metal-rich 1G stars are more centrally concentrated than metal-poor ones, suggesting a metallicity radial gradient. Additionally, the two groups of 1G stars share similar kinematics. Since our analysis focuses on giant stars in the cluster center and M dwarfs in external fields, we discuss the possibility that the metallicity distribution depends on stellar mass. Subsequently, we analyze HST multi-band photometry of two simple-population clusters, NGC 6791 and NGC 1783, revealing elongated sequences in the ChM associated with metallicity variations. Finally, we investigate the 1G color distribution in 51 GCs, finding no connections with the host cluster parameters. These results shed light on the complex nature of 1G stars, providing insights into the GC formation environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spitzer instability leads to the formation of a black hole subsystem (BHSub) at the centre of a star cluster providing energy to luminous stars (LSs) and increasing their rate of evaporation. When the self-depletion time of the BHSub exceeds the evaporation time of the LSs, a dark star cluster (DSC) will appear. Using the nbody7 code, we performed a comprehensive set of direct N -body simulations over a wide range of initial conditions to study the pure effect of the top-heaviness of the initial mass function (IMF) on the formation of the DSC phase. In the Galactic tidal field, top-heavy IMFs lead to the fast evaporation of LSs and the formation of DSCs. Therefore, DSCs can be present even in the outer region of the Milky Way (MW). To successfully transition to the DSC phase, the MW Globular Clusters (GCs) must possess an initial black hole (BH) mass fraction of |$\widetilde {\mathit {M}}_\mathrm{BH}(0)\gt 0.05$|⁠. For star clusters with |$\widetilde {\mathit {M}}_\mathrm{BH}(0)\gt 0.08$|⁠ , the DSC phase will be created for any given initial density of the cluster and Galactocentric distance. The duration of the cluster's lifetime spent in the DSC phase shows a negative (positive) correlation with the initial density, and Galactocentric distance of the star cluster if |$\widetilde {\mathit {M}}_\mathrm{BH}(0)\le 0.12$| (⁠|$\widetilde {\mathit {M}}_\mathrm{BH}(0)\ge 0.15$|⁠). Considering the canonical IMF, it is unlikely for any MW GCs to enter the DSC phase. We discuss the BH retention fraction in view of the observed properties of the GCs of the MW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results from our deep optical photometric observations of Bochum 2 (Boc2) star cluster obtained using the 1.3-m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope along with archival photometric data from Pan-STARRS2/2MASS/UKIDSS surveys. We also used high-quality parallax and proper motion data from the Gaia Data Release 3. We found that the Boc2 cluster has a small size (∼ 1.1 pc) and circular morphology. Using Gaia parallax of member stars and isochrone fitting method, the distance of this cluster is estimated as 3.8 ± 0.4 kpc. We have found that this cluster holds young ( ∼ 5 Myr) and massive (O7–O9) stars as well as an older population of low mass stars. We found that the massive stars were formed in the inner region of the Boc2 cluster in a recent epoch of star formation. We have derived mass function slope (Γ ) in the cluster region as - 2.42 ± 0.13 in the mass range of ∼ 0.72 < M / M ⊙ < 2.8 . The tidal radius of the Boc2 cluster (∼ 7–9) is much more than its observed radius ( ∼ 1.1 pc). This suggests that most of the low-mass stars in this cluster are the remains of an older population of stars formed via an earlier epoch of star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a sample of 254,882 luminous red giant branch (LRGB) stars selected from the APOGEE and LAMOST surveys. By combining photometric and astrometric information from the Two Micron All Sky Survey and Gaia survey, the precise distances of the sample stars are determined by a supervised machine-learning algorithm: the gradient-boosted decision trees. To test the accuracy of the derived distances, member stars of globular clusters (GCs) and open clusters are used. The tests by cluster member stars show a precision of about 10% with negligible zero-point offsets, for the derived distances of our sample stars. The final sample covers a large volume of the Galactic disk(s) and halo of 0 < R < 30 kpc and ∣ Z ∣ ≤ 15 kpc. The rotation curve (RC) of the Milky Way across the radius of 5 ≲ R ≲ 25 kpc has been accurately measured with ∼54,000 stars of the thin disk population selected from the LRGB sample. The derived RC shows a weak decline along R with a gradient of −1.83 ± 0.02 (stat.) ± 0.07 (sys.) km s−1 kpc−1, in excellent agreement with the results measured by previous studies. The circular velocity at the solar position, yielded by our RC is 234.04 ± 0.08 (stat.) ± 1.36 (sys.) km s−1, again in great consistency with other independent determinations. From the newly constructed RC, as well as constraints from other data, we have constructed a mass model for our Galaxy, yielding a mass of the dark matter halo of M 200 = (8.05 ± 1.15) × 1011 M ⊙ with a corresponding radius of R 200 = 192.37 ± 9.24 kpc and a local dark matter density of 0.39 ± 0.03 GeV cm−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) is one of the most relevant star clusters in the Milky Way to study massive star formation, although it is still poorly known. Here, we used photometric and spectroscopic data to model the eclipsing binary W36, showing that its spectral type is O6.5 III  +  O9.5 IV, hotter and more luminous than thought before. Its distance d W36 = 4.03 ± 0.25 kpc agrees, within the errors, with three recent Gaia-EDR3-based distances reported in Paper I, Beasor & Davies, and by Negueruela's group. However, they follow different approaches to fix the zero-points for red sources such as those in Wd 1, and to select the best approach, we used an accurate modelling of W36. The weighted mean distance of our parallax (Paper I) and binary distances results in d wd1 = 4.05 ± 0.20 kpc, with an unprecedented accuracy of 5 per cent. We adopted isochrones based on the Geneva code with supersolar abundances to infer the age of W36B as 6.4 ± 0.7 Myr. This object seems to be part of the prolific star formation burst represented by OB giants and supergiants that occurred at 7.1 ± 0.5 Myr ago, which coincides with the recently published PMS isochrone with age 7.2 Myr. Other BA-type luminous evolved stars and yellow hypergiants spread in the age range of 8–11 Myr. The four red supergiants discussed in paper I represent the oldest population of the cluster with an age of 10.7 ± 1 Myr. The multiple episodes of star formation in Wd 1 are reminiscent of that reported for the R136/30 Dor LMC cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) is one of the most massive young star clusters in the Milky Way. Although relevant for star formation and evolution, its fundamental parameters are not yet very well constrained. We aim to derive an accurate distance and provide constraints on the cluster age. We used the photometric and astrometric information available in the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (Gaia -EDR3) to infer its distance of 4.06 |$^{+0.36}_{-0.34}$|  kpc. Modelling of the eclipsing binary system W36, reported in Paper II , led to the distance of 4.03 ± 0.25 kpc, in agreement with the Gaia -EDR3 distance and, therefore, validating the parallax zero-point correction approach appropriate for red objects. The weighted average distance based on these two methods results in d wd1  =  4.05 ± 0.20 kpc (m − M   =  13.04 |$^{+0.11}_{-0.12}$|  mag), which has an unprecedented accuracy of 5 per cent. Using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) models for the Red Supergiants with solar abundance, we derived an age of 10.7 ± 1 Myr, in excellent agreement with recent work by Beasor & Davies (10.4 |$^{+1.3}_{-1.2}$|  Myr) based on MIST evolutionary models. In Paper II , W36B was reported to be younger than 7.1 Myr, supporting recent claims of a temporal spread of several Myrs for the star-forming process within Wd 1 instead of a single monolithic starburst episode scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper motions (PMs) of OB stars in Cygnus have recently been found to exhibit two large-scale kinematic patterns suggestive of expansion. We perform a 3D traceback on these OB stars, the newly identified OB associations and related open clusters in the region. We find that there are two groups of stars, associations and clusters and that they were each more compact in the past, reaching their closest approach |$7.9^{+3.0}_{-1.8}$| and |$8.5^{+0.8}_{-2.8}$| Myr ago. We consider two main scenarios for the driver of these large-scale expansion patterns: feedback-driven expansion from a previous generation of massive stars, and expansion as a result of the turbulent velocity field in the primordial molecular cloud. While it is tempting to attribute such large-scale expansion patterns to feedback processes, we find that the observed kinematics are fully consistent with the turbulent origin, and therefore that the injection of further energy or momentum from feedback is not required. Similar conclusions may be drawn for other star forming regions with large-scale expansion patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Gaia colour–magnitude diagram, we assign masses to a catalogue of 979 confirmed members of the Hyades cluster and tails. By fitting the cumulative mass profile, stars within the tidal radius have a Plummer-like profile with half-mass radius r h of 5.75 pc. The tails are extended with r h = 69.35 pc and fall off more slowly than Plummer with density proportional to distance−1.36. The cluster stars are separated into two groups at BP–RP = 2 or 0.56 M ⊙ to give a high mass (⁠|${\bar{M}} = 0.95 M_\odot$|⁠) and a low mass (⁠|${\bar{M}} = 0.32 M_\odot$|⁠) population. We show that: (i) the high mass population has a half-mass radius r h of 4.88 pc, whilst the low mass population has r h = 8.10 pc; (ii) despite the differences in spatial extent, the kinematics and binarity properties of the high and low mass populations are similar. They have isotropic velocity ellipsoids with mean 1d velocity dispersions σ of 0.427 and 0.415 km s−1, respectively. The dynamical state of the Hyades is far from energy equipartition (⁠|$\sigma \propto {\bar{M}}^{-1/2}$|⁠). We identify a new mass segregation instability for clusters with escape speed V. Populations with |$V/\sigma \lesssim 2\sqrt{2}$| can never attain thermal equilibrium and equipartition. This regime encompasses many Galactic open and globular clusters. For the Hyades, there must be an outward energy flux of at least |$9.5 \times 10^{-4} M_\odot \, {\rm km^2\, s^{-2} Myr^{-1}}$| to maintain its current configuration. The present mass-loss of 0.26 M ⊙Myr−1 due to tidal stripping by itself implies a substantial energy flow beyond the required magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although red clump (RC) stars are easy to identify due to their stability of luminosity and colour, about 20–50 per cent are actually red giant branch (RGB) stars in the same location on the HR diagram. In this paper, a sample of 210 504 spectra for 184 318 primary RC (PRC) stars from the LAMOST DR7 is identified, which has a purity of higher than 90 per cent. The RC and the RGB stars are successfully distinguished through LAMOST spectra (R ∼ 1800 and signal-to-noise ratio >10) by adopting the XGBoost ensemble learning algorithm, and the secondary RC stars are also removed. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) value is used to explain the top features that the XGBoost model selected. The features are around Fe5270, MgH & Mg Ib, Fe4957, Fe4207, Cr5208, and CN, which can successfully distinguish RGB and RC stars. The XGBoost is also used to estimate the ages and masses of PRC stars by training their spectra with Kepler labelled asteroseismic parameters. The uncertainties of mass and age are 13 and 31 per cent, respectively. Verifying the feature attribution model, we find that the age-sensitive element XGBoost is consistent with the literature. Distance of the PRC stars is derived by K S absolute magnitude calibrated by Gaia EDR3, which has an uncertainty of about 6 per cent and shows the stars mainly located at the Galactic disc. We also test the XGBoost with R ∼ 250, which is the resolution of the Chinese Space Station Telescope under construction; it is still capable of finding sensitive features to distinguish RC and RGB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case of working by analogy to apply successful work from one field, the kinetic theory of gases, to another field, the distribution of stars in globular clusters. The origin of the analogy lies in Henri Poincaré reading a vague suggestion by Lord Kelvin and recognizing the interest and potential value of this suggestion. The result is the application of mechanics to the dynamics of clusters with very many stars. A good idea, even a very clever good idea, still takes significant work to elaborate in all its implications. Here we see assumptions that lead to partial success in providing a relation between the density of stars in a cluster and the distance from the center. Partial success motivated work using assumptions that were less restrictive. We follow the assumptions and work through 1916, when work paused for many years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Gaia parallaxes, it is possible to study the stellar populations associated with individual Galactic supernova remnants (SNRs) to estimate the mass of the exploding star. Here, we analyse the luminous stars near the Vela pulsar and SNR to find that its progenitor was probably (⁠|$\mathrel {\raise.3ex\rm{\gt }\lower0.6ex\rm{\sim }}90\rm \,per\,cent$|⁠) low mass (8.1– |$10.3\, {\rm M}_\odot$|⁠). The presence of the O star γ2 Vel a little over 100 pc from Vela is the primary ambiguity, as including it in the analysis volume significantly increases the probability (to 5 per cent) of higher mass (⁠|$\gt 20\, {\rm M}_\odot$|⁠) progenitors. However, to be a high-mass star associated with γ2 Vel's star cluster at birth, the progenitor would have to be a runaway star from an unbound binary with an unusually high velocity. The primary impediment to analysing large numbers of Galactic SNRs in this manner is the lack of accurate distances. This can likely be solved by searching for absorption lines from the SNR in stars as a function of distance, a method which yielded a distance to Vela in agreement with the direct pulsar parallax. If Vela was a |$10\, {\rm M}_\odot$| supernova in an external galaxy, the 50-pc search region used in extragalactic studies would contain only |$\simeq 10\rm \,per\,cent$| of the stars formed in a 50-pc region around the progenitor at birth and |$\simeq 90\rm \,per\,cent$| of the stars in the search region would have been born elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. RR Lyrae stars are useful standard candles allowing one to derive accurate distances for old star clusters. Based on the recent catalogues from OGLE-IV and Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3), the distances can be improved for a few bulge globular clusters. Aims. The aim of this work is to derive an accurate distance for the following six moderately metal-poor, relatively high-reddening bulge globular clusters: NGC 6266, NGC 6441, NGC 6626, NGC 6638, NGC 6642, and NGC 6717. Methods. We combined newly available OGLE-IV catalogues of variable stars containing mean I magnitudes, with Clement's previous catalogues containing mean V magnitudes, and with precise proper motions from Gaia EDR3. Astrometric membership probabilities were computed for each RR Lyrae, in order to select those compatible with the cluster proper motions. Applying luminosity–metallicity relations derived from BaSTI α-enhanced models (He-enhanced for NGC 6441 and canonical He for the other clusters), we updated the distances with relatively low uncertainties. Results. Distances were derived with the I and V bands, with a 5 − 8% precision. We obtained 6.6 kpc, 13.1 kpc, 5.6 kpc, 9.6 kpc, 8.2 kpc, and 7.3 kpc for NGC 6266, NGC 6441, NGC 6626, NGC 6638, NGC 6642, and NGC 6717, respectively. The results are in excellent agreement with the literature for all sample clusters, considering the uncertainties. Conclusions. The present method of distance derivation, based on recent data of member RR Lyrae stars, updated BaSTI models, and robust statistical methods, proved to be consistent. A larger sample of clusters will be investigated in a future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the data from Gaia   Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) to study the kinematic properties of Milky Way globular clusters. We measure the mean parallaxes and proper motions (PM) for 170 clusters, determine the PM dispersion profiles for more than 100 clusters, uncover rotation signatures in more than 20 objects, and find evidence for radial or tangential PM anisotropy in a dozen richest clusters. At the same time, we use the selection of cluster members to explore the reliability and limitations of the Gaia  catalogue itself. We find that the formal uncertainties on parallax and PM are underestimated by |$10{-}20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| in dense central regions even for stars that pass numerous quality filters. We explore the spatial covariance function of systematic errors, and determine a lower limit on the uncertainty of average parallaxes and PM at the level 0.01 mas and 0.025 mas yr |$^{-1}$|  , respectively. Finally, a comparison of mean parallaxes of clusters with distances from various literature sources suggests that the parallaxes for stars with |$G>13$| (after applying the zero-point correction suggested by Lindegren et al.) are overestimated by |$\sim 0.01\pm 0.003$|  mas. Despite these caveats, the quality of Gaia   astrometry has been significantly improved in EDR3 and provides valuable insights into the properties of star clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high quality of Gaia DR2 stellar parallaxes and proper motions, we can study the Cygnus OB2 region up to G = 17.5 mag in circular region centred at (l, b) = (79.8°, +0.8°) of radius 1°. We detect four overdensities in the Vector Point Diagram. We apply a parametric model of the proper motion distribution and determine their mean proper motions, identify their members, and estimate their distances by analysing the parallaxes of the most probable members. We confirm that one of these regions is Cygnus OB2, whose mean proper motion is (μαcosδ, μδ) = (−2.71 ± 0.02, −4.24 ± 0.02) |$\mathrm{mas\, yr}^{-1}$|⁠. We identify 2767 astrometric members at an estimated distance of 1683 ± 5 pc. A detailed comparison of these members with 333 photometric and spectroscopic Cygnus OB2 members shows that 33 stars of the last group are not members, 16 of them are O-B stars. 300 members in common lead to estimate a distance to the association of 1669 ± 6 pc. One of the remaining overdensities is the open cluster UCB585 for which we find eight more members, located at ∼1460 pc. The other two groups count 179 and 188 proper motion members which are distributed throughout the region and situated at a distance of ∼1280 pc. The estimated distances of these four groups suggest the existence of different substructures in the Cygnus OB2 region along the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compare this with the single sharp peak in the disFigures 4&5 show histograms ofthe parallax values for the two tribution of parallaxes for NGC 654 in Figure 4, where the sifting clusters NGC 654 and NGC 3572, before and after the removal of process has converged successfully to within the expected coefoutliers. William B. Samson The Gaia space observatory provides parallax values for stars, allowing us to determine their distances. In this study about a third of the clusters that met the criteria for selection were dis6000 AqI Sge 0 deg Cen carded, on the basis ofan unreasonably large coefficient ofvariation for the parallaxes of the stars that remain after using a non4000 parametric method for "sifting" the data to discard stars that were unlikely to be cluster members. [Extracted from the article]

We have performed Monte Carlo simulations of the trajectories of several runaway stars using their parallaxes and proper motions from the Gaia EDR3 catalogue. We have confirmed the hypothesis that the stars AE Aur and Col are a product of the multiple system breakup Myr ago and the Orion Trapezium may be the parent cluster for this pair of stars. We show that the data from the Gaia EDR3 catalogue for the star Ori, mainly the parallax, do not allow us to talk about the breakup of the multiple system of AE Aur, Col, and Ori. The existence of close pair encounters between the stars HD 30112 and HD 43112 Myr ago has been confirmed. Close triple encounters confirm the hypothesis that the stars HD 30112 and HD 43112 escaped from the parent cluster Col 69. We show that the stars HIP 28133 and TYC 5368-1541-1 have a nonzero probability of escape from the region within 10 pc of the center of the Orion Trapezium cluster and a fairly high probability (about 8 ) that they were both at distances less than 20 pc from the center of the Orion Trapezium Myr ago. It has been established for the first time that the stars Gaia EDR3 3021115184676332288 and Gaia EDR3 2983790269606043648 have a probability of about 0.5 that they broke up as a binary system Myr ago. The star Gaia EDR3 3021115184676332288 has a probability of about 16 that it escaped from the region within 10 pc of the center of the Orion Trapezium cluster Myr ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The high-precision parallax data of the Gaia mission allows for significant improvements in the distance determination to stellar clusters and their stars. In order to obtain accurate and precise distance determinations, systematics such as parallax spatial correlations need to be accounted for, especially with regard to stars in small sky regions. Aims. Our aim is to provide the astrophysical community with a free and open code designed to simultaneously infer cluster parameters (i.e., distance and size) and distances to the cluster stars using Gaia parallax measurements. The code includes cluster-oriented prior families and it is specifically designed to deal with the Gaia parallax spatial correlations. Methods. A Bayesian hierarchical model is created to allow for the inference of both the cluster parameters and distances to its stars. Results. Using synthetic data that mimics Gaia parallax uncertainties and spatial correlations, we observe that our cluster-oriented prior families result in distance estimates with smaller errors than those obtained with an exponentially decreasing space density prior. In addition, the treatment of the parallax spatial correlations minimizes errors in the estimated cluster size and stellar distances, and avoids the underestimation of uncertainties. Although neglecting the parallax spatial correlations has no impact on the accuracy of cluster distance determinations, it underestimates the uncertainties and may result in measurements that are incompatible with the true value (i.e., falling beyond the 2σ uncertainties). Conclusions. The combination of prior knowledge with the treatment of Gaia parallax spatial correlations produces accurate (error < 10%) and trustworthy estimates (i.e., true values contained within the 2σ uncertainties) of cluster distances for clusters up to ∼5 kpc, along with cluster sizes for clusters up to ∼1 kpc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The spectral classifications of the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS) and the astrometric and photometric data from Gaia have significantly improved our ability to measure distances and determine memberships of stellar groups (clusters, associations, or parts thereof) with OB stars. In the near future, the situation will be further improved thanks to subsequent Gaia data releases and new photometric and spectroscopic surveys. Aims. We initiated a program to identify and determine the membership of Galactic stellar groups with OB stars and measure distances to them. Given the data currently available, we started with the identification and distance determinations of groups with O stars. In this paper, we concentrate on groups that contain stars with the earliest spectral subtypes. Methods. We used GOSSS to select Galactic stellar groups with O2–O3.5 stars and the method described in paper 0 of this series, which combines Gaia DR2 G + GBP + GRP photometry, positions, proper motions, and parallaxes to assign robust memberships and measure distances. We also included Collinder 419 and NGC 2264, the clusters cited in that paper, to generate our first list of 16 O-type Galactic stellar groups. Results. We derived distances, determined the membership, and analyzed the structure of sixteen Galactic stellar groups with O stars, Villafranca O-001 to Villafranca O-016, including the fourteen groups with the earliest-O-type optically accessible stars known in the Milky Way. We compared our distance with previous results from the literature and establish that the best consistency is with (the small number of) VLBI parallaxes and the worst is with kinematic distances. Our results indicate that very massive stars can form in relatively low-mass clusters or even in near-isolation, as is the case for the Bajamar star in the North America nebula. This lends support to the hierarchical scenario of star formation, where some stars are born in well-defined bound clusters but others are born in associations that are unbound from the beginning: groups of newborn stars come in many shapes and sizes. We propose that HD 64 568 and HD 64 315 AB could have been ejected simultaneously from Haffner 18 (Villafranca O-012 S). Our results are consistent with a difference of ≈20 μas in the Gaia DR2 parallax zero point between bright and faint stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our Galactic center contains young stars, including the few million year-old clockwise disk between 0.05 and 0.5 pc from the Galactic center and the S-star cluster of B-type stars at a galactocentric distance of 0.01 pc. Recent observations suggest the S-stars are remnants of tidally disrupted binaries from the clockwise disk. In particular, Koposov et al. discovered a hypervelocity star that was ejected from the Galactic center 5 Myr ago with a velocity vector consistent with the disk. We perform a detailed study of this binary disruption scenario. First, we quantify the plausible range of binary semimajor axes in the disk. Dynamical evaporation of such binaries is dominated by other disk stars rather than by the isotropic stellar population. For the expected range of semimajor axes in the disk, binary tidal disruptions can reproduce the observed S-star semimajor axis distribution. Reproducing the observed thermal eccentricity distribution of the S-stars requires an additional relaxation process. The flight time of the Koposov star suggests that this process must be effective within 10 Myr. We consider three possibilities: (i) scalar resonant relaxation from the observed isotropic star cluster, (ii) torques from the clockwise disk, and (iii) an intermediate-mass black hole. We conclude that the first and third mechanisms are fast enough to reproduce the observed S-star eccentricity distribution. Finally, we show that the primary star from an unequal-mass binary would be deposited at larger semimajor axes than the secondary, possibly explaining the dearth of O stars among the S-stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic Wolf–Rayet (WR) star membership of star-forming regions can be used to constrain the formation environments of massive stars. Here, we utilize Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motions to reconsider WR star membership of clusters and associations in the Galactic disc, supplemented by recent near-infrared studies of young massive clusters. We find that only 18–36 per cent of 553 WR stars external to the Galactic Centre region are located in clusters, OB associations or obscured star-forming regions, such that at least 64 per cent of the known disc WR population are isolated, in contrast with only 13 per cent of O stars from the Galactic O star Catalogue. The fraction located in clusters, OB associations or star-forming regions rises to 25–41 per cent from a global census of 663 WR stars including the Galactic Centre region. We use simulations to explore the formation processes of isolated WR stars. Neither runaways, nor low-mass clusters, are numerous enough to account for the low cluster membership fraction. Rapid cluster dissolution is excluded as mass segregation ensures WR stars remain in dense, well-populated environments. Only low-density environments consistently produce WR stars that appeared to be isolated during the WR phase. We therefore conclude that a significant fraction of WR progenitors originate in low-density association-like surroundings which expand over time. We provide distance estimates to clusters and associations host to WR stars, and estimate cluster ages from isochrone fitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic, young massive star clusters are approximately coeval aggregates of stars, close enough to resolve the individual stars, massive enough to have produced large numbers of massive stars, and young enough for these stars to be in a pre-supernova state. As such these objects represent powerful natural laboratories in which to study the evolution of massive stars. To be used in this way, it is crucial that accurate and precise distances are known, since this affects both the inferred luminosities of the cluster members and the age estimate for the cluster itself. Here we present distance estimates for three star clusters rich in Red Supergiants (χ Per, NGC 7419, and Westerlund 1) based on their average astrometric parallaxes |$\bar{\pi }$| in Gaia Data Release 2, where the measurement of |$\bar{\pi }$| is obtained from a proper-motion screened sample of spectroscopically confirmed cluster members. We determine distances of |$d=2.25^{+0.16}_{-0.14}$|  kpc, |$d=3.00^{+0.35}_{-0.29}$|  kpc, and |$d=3.87^{+0.95}_{-0.64}$|  kpc for the three clusters, respectively. We find that the dominant source of error is that in Gaia 's zero-point parallax offset πZP, and we argue that more precise distances cannot be determined without an improved characterization of this quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The first Gaia Data Release contains the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS). This is a subset of about 2 million stars for which, besides the position and photometry, the proper motion and parallax are calculated using Hipparcos and Tycho-2 positions in 1991.25 as prior information. Aims: We investigate the scientific potential and limitations of the TGAS component by means of the astrometric data for open clusters. Methods: Mean cluster parallax and proper motion values are derived taking into account the error correlations within the astrometric solutions for individual stars, an estimate of the internal velocity dispersion in the cluster, and, where relevant, the effects of the depth of the cluster along the line of sight. Internal consistency of the TGAS data is assessed. Results: Values given for standard uncertainties are still inaccurate and may lead to unrealistic unit-weight standard deviations of least squares solutions for cluster parameters. Reconstructed mean cluster parallax and proper motion values are generally in very good agreement with earlier Hipparcos-based determination, although the Gaia mean parallax for the Pleiades is a significant exception. We have no current explanation for that discrepancy. Most clusters are observed to extend to nearly 15 pc from the cluster centre, and it will be up to future Gaia releases to establish whether those potential cluster-member stars are still dynamically bound to the clusters. Conclusions: The Gaia DR1 provides the means to examine open clusters far beyond their more easily visible cores, and can provide membership assessments based on proper motions and parallaxes. A combined HR diagram shows the same features as observed before using the Hipparcos data, with clearly increased luminosities for older A and F dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar population and the interstellar gas-dust medium in the vicinity of the open star cluster vdB 130 are analysed using optical observations taken with the 6 m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of Russian Academy of Sciences and the 125 cm telescope of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Lomonosov Moscow State University along with the data of Spitzer and Herschel. Based on proper motions and BV and JHKs Two Micron All Sky Survey photometric data, we select additional 36 stars as probable cluster members. Some stars in vdB 130 are classified as B stars. Our estimates of minimum colour excess, apparent distance modulus and the distance are consistent with young age (from 5 to 10 Myr) of the cluster vdB 130. We suppose the large deviations from the conventional extinction law in the cluster direction, with RV ~ 4-5. The cluster vdB 130 appears to be physically related to the supershell around Cyg OB1, a cometary CO cloud, ionized gas and regions of infrared emission. There are a few regions of bright mid-infrared emission in the vicinity of vdB 130. The largest of them is also visible on Ha and [S II] emission maps. We suggest that the infrared blobs that coincide in projection with the head of the molecular cloud are H II regions, excited by the cluster B stars. Some signatures of a shock front are identified between these IR-bright regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Astrometry using H2O maser sources in star forming regions is expected to be a powerful tool to study the structures and dynamics of our Galaxy. (hereafter H2007) claimed that the annual parallax of Sharpless 269 is determined within an error of 0.008marcs (mas), concluding that S269 is located at 5.3kpc ±0.2kpc from the sun, and its galactrocetnric distance is R =13.1kpc. From the proper motion, they claimed that the galacto-centric rotational velocity of S269 is equal to that of the sun within a 3% error. This small error, however, is hardly understood when taking into account the results of other observations and theoretical studies of galactic dynamics. We here reanalyzed the VERA archival data using the self calibration method (hybrid mapping), and found that clusters of maser features of S269 are distributed in much wider area than that investigated in H2007. We confirmed that, if we make a narrow region image without considering the presence of multiple maser spots, and only the phase calibration is applied, we can reproduce the same maser structures in a maser feature investigated in H2007. The distribution extent of maser spots in the feature differs 0.2mas from east to west between our results and H2007. Moreover, we found that change of relative positions of maser spots in the cluster reaches 0.1mas or larger between observational epochs. This suggests that if one simply assumes the time-dependent, widely distributed maser sources as a stable single point source, it could cause errors of up to 0.1 mas in the annual parallax of S269. Taking into account the internal motions of maser spot clusters, the proper motion of S269 cannot be determined precisely. We estimated that the peculiar motion of S269 with respect to a Galactic circular rotation is ∼20kms−1. These results imply that the observed kinematics of maser emissions in S269 cannot give a strong constraint on dynamics of the outer part of the Galaxy, in contrast to the claim by H2007. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

UVES interstellar observations from the Paranal Observatory Project are presented for early-type stars located in the line of sight to the nearby open clusters IC 2391 (Omni Vel) and NGC 6475 (M7), with spectroscopic resolution and signal-to-noise ratios in the Ti (3383 Å), Ca K, CH (4232 Å), Na D and K (7698 Å) lines of several hundred. The sightlines are a mixture of cluster and non-cluster objects. A total of 22 early-type stars (A and B type) are present in our sample towards IC 2391, with 21 towards NGC 6475/M7, and enable us to probe for differences in column density on scales from 0.07 to 7.3 and 0.05 to 4.9 pc in the respective clusters. Additionally, towards Praesepe the Na D interstellar variation only is probed towards 13 sightlines and transverse scales of 0.16-10.7 pc at = 70 000. Towards IC 2391 variations are found in Ti , Ca K and Na D column density in different sightlines of up to 0.7, 1.0 and 1.8 dex (excluding one star), respectively. This kind of variability correlates well with the Hipparcos parallax of the objects, and probes structure within the Local Bubble. For cluster-only objects the variations are 0.3, 0.3 and 0.5 dex, respectively. For the field of view towards NGC 6475 the corresponding maximum variations are somewhat smaller, being 0.5, 0.3, 0.8 and 1.0 dex for Ti , Ca K, Na and K , respectively, for all objects and 0.4, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.7 dex for the cluster-only objects. These are uncorrelated with parallax, and again demonstrate that Ca K tends to be more smoothly distributed than Na D. A few likely cluster sightlines show evidence for CH and variations in this molecular species of a factor of 10 in equivalent width over sub-pc scales. Towards Praesepe variation in interstellar Na D is small, being a maximum of only 0.4 dex (including measurement errors), but with fewer sightlines studied. Overall, the scatter in the data is similar for the singly ionized species Ti and Ca , lending more support to the hypothesis that these two species sample similar parts of the interstellar medium (ISM). This also appears to be the case for the neutral species Na D and K in the one cluster studied. Finally, multiple-epoch observations from a variety of archive sources are used to search for astronomical unit (au) scale structure in the ISM towards 46 sightlines. There are tentative indications of structure on scales of tens to thousands of au for three sightlines. Future observations will confirm the veracity or otherwise of the time-variable components and others presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, using the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) photometry, we study the mass functions of a sample of nine clusters of ages varying from 4 Myr to 1.2 Gyr and Galactocentric distances from 6 to 12 kpc. We look for evidence of mass segregation in these clusters by tracing the variation in the value of in different regions of the cluster as a function of the parameter (where is the age of the cluster and is the relaxation time of the cluster), Galactocentric distance, age and size of the cluster. The value of value increases with age and and fits straight lines with slopes and -intercepts given by , and , , respectively, and is a clear indicator of the dynamical processes involved. The confidence level of the Pearson's product-moment correlation of with age is 0.76 with = 0.002 and with is 0.71 with = 0.007. The value of also increases with Galactocentric distance, indicating the presence of a larger relative number of low-mass stars in clusters at larger Galactocentric distances. We find two clusters, namely IC 1805 and NGC 1893, with evidence of primordial or early dynamical mass segregation. Implications of primordial mass segregation on the formation of massive stars and recent results supporting early dynamical mass segregation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide two comprehensive catalogues of positions and proper motions in the area of open cluster Blanco 1. The main catalogue, CM, contains 6271 objects down to and covers a circular ∼11 deg area. The accuracy of CM proper motions, at about 0.3-0.5 mas yr for well-measured stars, permits an excellent segregation between the cluster and field stars. The vector-point diagram of proper motions indicates an estimated total of ∼165 cluster members among the stars in our sample, while 314 stars with 2.5 mas yr have membership probabilities per cent. We also explored the astrometric potential of the Catalogue of Objects and Measured Parameters from All Sky Surveys (COMPASS) data base in order to obtain additional proper motions for fainter stars in the area of Blanco 1. This effort produced the second catalogue of proper motions, CD, containing 11 598 objects down to . A total of 4273 objects are common between the two catalogues. The accuracy of proper motions in CD ranges from 1.0 to 6 mas yr. A combination of both proper-motion catalogues was instrumental in confirming that Blanco 1 contains a large population of M dwarfs (∼150 down to M5 V - the limit of our survey). In many respects, Blanco 1 is a scaled down 'twin' of the Pleiades. The noted discrepancy between the distance from a new Hipparcos parallax of Blanco 1 and the cluster's photometric distance, at least partially, might be due to the apparent correlation between parallax and proper motion in right ascension for the ensemble of cluster members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive multiwavelength analysis of the young cluster NGC 1624 associated with the H region Sh2-212 using optical photometry, optical spectroscopy and GMRT radio continuum mapping along with the near-infrared (NIR) archival data. From optical observations of the massive stars, reddening and distance to the cluster are estimated to be 0.76-1.00 mag and kpc, respectively. The present analysis yields a spectral class of O6.5V for the main ionizing source of the region, and the maximum post-main-sequence age of the cluster is estimated as 4 Myr. Detailed physical properties of the young stellar objects (YSOs) in the region are analysed using a combination of optical/NIR colour-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams. The distribution of YSOs in the NIR colour-colour diagram shows that a majority of them have mag. However, a few YSOs show values higher than 4 mag. Based on the NIR excess characteristics, we identified 120 probable candidate YSOs in this region, which yield a disc frequency of 20 per cent. However, this should be considered as a lower limit. These YSOs are found to have an age spread of 5 Myr with a median age of 2-3 Myr and a mass range of 0.1-3.0 M. A significant number of YSOs are located close to the cluster centre and we detect an enhanced density of reddened YSOs located/projected close to the molecular clumps detected by at the periphery of NGC 1624. This indicates that the YSOs located within the cluster core are relatively older in comparison to those located/projected near the clumps. From the radio continuum flux, the spectral class of the ionizing source of the ultracompact H (UCH ) region at the periphery of Sh2-212 is estimated to be B0.5V. From the optical data, the slope of the mass function (MF) , in the mass range , can be represented by a single power law with a slope −1.18 ± 0.10, whereas the NIR data in the mass range yield . Thus the MF agrees fairly with the Salpeter value. The slope of the -band luminosity function (KLF) for the cluster is found to be 0.30 ± 0.06, which is in agreement with the values obtained for other young clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar photometry derived from the INT/WFC Photometric Hα Survey (IPHAS) of the Northern Galactic plane can be used to identify large, reliable samples of A0–A5 stars. For every A-type star, so identified, it is also possible to derive individual reddening and distance estimates, under the assumption that most selected objects are on or near the main sequence, at a mean absolute r′ magnitude of 1.5–1.6. This study presents the method for obtaining such samples and shows that the known reddenings and distances to the open clusters NGC 7510 and NGC 7790 are successfully recovered. A sample of over 1000 A-type stars is then obtained from IPHAS data in the magnitude range from the region of sky including the massive northern OB association Cyg OB2. An analysis of these data reveals a concentration of ∼200 A stars over an area about a degree across, offset mainly to the south of the known 1–3 Myr old OB stars in Cyg OB2: their dereddened r′ magnitudes fall in the range 11.8–12.5. These are consistent with a ∼7 Myr old stellar population at distance modulus DM = 10.8, or with an age of ∼5 Myr at DM = 11.2. The number of A-type stars found in this clustering alone is consistent with a lower limit to the cluster mass of . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some problems of the investigation of open star clusters are discussed. The efforts of the staff of the Astronomical Observatory of Ural State University in this field are discussed too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first charge-coupled device photometric study in the area of the doubtful open cluster NGC 2129 is presented. Photometry of a field offset 15 arcmin northwards is also provided, to probe the Galactic disc population towards the cluster. Using star counts, proper motions from the UCAC2 catalogue, colour–magnitude and colour–colour diagrams, we demonstrate that NGC 2129 is a young open cluster. The cluster radius is 2.5 arcmin, and across this region we find evidence of significant differential reddening, although the reddening law seems to be normal towards its direction. Updated estimates of the cluster fundamental parameters are provided. The mean reddening is found to be and the distance modulus is . Hence, NGC 2129 is located at 2.2 ± 0.2 kpc from the Sun inside the Local spiral arm. The age derived from 37 photometrically selected members is estimated to be approximately 10 Myr. These stars are used to provide new estimates of the cluster absolute proper-motion components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

12 new runaway O-stars are identified using an analysis of their proper motions based on data from HIPPARCOS. The peculiar tangential and total transverse velocities of these stars are determined. A list of the observed runaway stars is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The mean absolute magnitude of the local red clump (RC), M[sup RC][sub λ] , is a very well-determined quantity owing to the availability of accurate Hipparcos parallaxes for several hundred RC stars, potentially allowing it to be used as an accurate extragalactic distance indicator. Theoretical models predict that the RC mean magnitude is dependent on both age and metallicity and, furthermore, that these dependences are non-linear. This suggests that a population correction, ΔM[sup RC][sub λ] , based on the star formation rate (SFR) and age–metallicity relation (AMR) of the system in question, should be applied to the local RC magnitude before it can be compared to the RC in any other system in order to make a meaningful distance determination. Using a sample of eight Galactic open clusters and the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tuc, we determine the cluster distances, and hence the RC absolute magnitude in V, I and K, by applying our empirical main-sequence (MS) fitting method, which utilizes a large sample of local field dwarfs with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes. The nine clusters have metallicities in the range -0.7 ≤[Fe/H]≤+0.02 and ages from 1 to 11 Gyr, enabling us to make a quantitative assessment of the age and metallicity dependences of ΔM[sup RC][sub λ] predicted by the recent theoretical models of Girardi & Salaris and Salaris & Girardi. We find excellent agreement between the empirical data and the models in all three passbands, with no statistically significant trends or offsets, thus fully confirming the applicability of the models to single-age, single-metallicity stellar populations. Since, from the models, ΔM[sup RC][sub λ] is a complicated function of both metallicity and age, if this method is used to derive distances to composite populations, it is essential to have an accurate assessment of the SFR and AMR of the system in question, if errors of several tenths of a magnitude are to be avoided. Using recent determinations of the SFR and AMR for four systems – the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, Carina and the solar neighbourhood – we examine the quantity I[sup RC][sub obs]-K[sup RC][sub obs] , which is the difference between the mean magnitude of the RC in the I band and the K band. Comparing the theoretical predictions with the most recent observational data, we find complete agreement between the observations and the models, thus confirming even further the applicability of the population corrections predicted from theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes are used to estimate the distances to the maximum possible number of open star clusters (OSC); distance moduli are estimated for 45 clusters with maximum heliocentric distances of about 1000 pc. The latter value can serve as an estimate of the limit to which it still makes sense to use Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes to determine the distances to small groups composed of 6-10 sufficiently bright stars. A systematic correction to the distance moduli of clusters from the homogeneous catalog of OSC parameters (Loktin et al. 1997, 2000) is estimated, which turns out to be independent of the cluster age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the structure and color of star cluster Scorpius OB2 using Hipparcos data from Monte Carlo simulations of stellar parallaxes. Determination of the cluster centroid space motion; Assumption on the isotropic nature of internal velocity dispersion; Resolution on the parallax distribution of star clusters.

We report the discovery of two ultra-faint stellar systems found in early data from the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE). The first system, Centaurus I (DELVE J1238–4054), is identified as a resolved overdensity of old and metal-poor stars with a heliocentric distance of , a half-light radius of , an age of , a metallicity of , and an absolute magnitude of . This characterization is consistent with the population of ultra-faint satellites and confirmation of this system would make Centaurus I one of the brightest recently discovered ultra-faint dwarf galaxies. Centaurus I is detected in Gaia DR2 with a clear and distinct proper motion signal, confirming that it is a real association of stars distinct from the Milky Way foreground; this is further supported by the clustering of blue horizontal branch stars near the centroid of the system. The second system, DELVE 1 (DELVE J1630–0058), is identified as a resolved overdensity of stars with a heliocentric distance of , a half-light radius of , an age of , a metallicity of , and an absolute magnitude of , consistent with the known population of faint halo star clusters. Given the low number of probable member stars at magnitudes accessible with Gaia DR2, a proper motion signal for DELVE 1 is only marginally detected. We compare the spatial position and proper motion of both Centaurus I and DELVE 1 with simulations of the accreted satellite population of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and find that neither is likely to be associated with the LMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we carried out CCD UBV photometry of eight open clusters, ASCC 115, Collinder 421, NGC 6793, NGC 7031, NGC 7039, NGC 7086, Roslund 1, Stock 21, and determined their reddening, metallicity, distance, age, and mass functions. We used new Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) astrometric data to separate cluster member stars from the field stars and obtain precise structural and astrophysical parameters. To identify cluster member stars we utilized an unsupervised membership assignment code (UPMASK), which is based on the photometric and astrometric data. The density distributions for the open clusters show good fits with the empirical King model except for Roslund 1 and Stock 21 not having central concentration. The colour excesses and metallicities were derived separately using U − B × B − V two-colour diagrams. Keeping these parameters as constants, we simultaneously calculated distance moduli and ages of the clusters from V × B − V and V × U − B colour-magnitude diagrams using PARSEC theoretical isochrones. Taking into account Gaia DR2 proper motion components and parallaxes of the member stars, we also calculated mean proper motions and distances for the clusters. Distances derived both from isochrone fitting to colour-magnitude diagrams of the clusters and Gaia DR2 trigonometric parallaxes are compatible with each other. Slopes of the mass functions of the eight open clusters are in good agreement with Salpeter (Astrophys. J. 121:161, 1955) value of 1.35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of an ultra-faint star cluster in the constellation of Centaurus. This new stellar system, Kim 3, features a half-light radius of pc and a total luminosity of MV = +0.7 ± 0.3. Approximately 26 stars are identified as candidate member stars down to four magnitudes below the main-sequence turn-off, which makes Kim 3 the least luminous star cluster known to date. The compact physical size and extreme low luminosity place it close to faint star clusters in the size–luminosity plane. The stellar population of Kim 3 appears to be relatively young ( Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H]) at a heliocentric distance of kpc. The cluster lacks a well-defined center, and a small but prominent group of stars consistent with the Kim 3 isochrone is present approximately 9.7 pc in projection south of the cluster center. Both are signs of the cluster being in the final stage of tidal disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asteroseismology has the capability of precisely determining stellar properties that would otherwise be inaccessible, such as radii, masses, and thus ages of stars. When coupling this information with classical determinations of stellar parameters, such as metallicities, effective temperatures, and angular diameters, powerful new diagnostics for Galactic studies can be obtained. The ongoing Strömgren survey for Asteroseismology and Galactic Archaeology has the goal of transforming the Kepler field into a new benchmark for Galactic studies, similar to the solar neighborhood. Here we present the first results from a stripe centered at a Galactic longitude of 74° and covering latitude from about 8° to 20°, which includes almost 1000 K giants with seismic information and the benchmark open cluster NGC 6819. We describe the coupling of classical and seismic parameters, the accuracy as well as the caveats of the derived effective temperatures, metallicities, distances, surface gravities, masses, and radii. Confidence in the achieved precision is corroborated by the detection of the first and secondary clumps in a population of field stars with a ratio of 2 to 1 and by the negligible scatter in the seismic distances among NGC 6819 member stars. An assessment of the reliability of stellar parameters in the Kepler Input Catalog is also performed, and the impact of our results for population studies in the Milky Way is discussed, along with the importance of an all-sky Strömgren survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]