skip to main content


Title: Photometry and astrometry with JWST – III. A NIRCam-Gaia DR3 analysis of the open cluster NGC 2506
ABSTRACT

In the third paper of this series aimed at developing the tools for analysing resolved stellar populations using the cameras on board of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we present a detailed multiband study of the 2 Gyr Galactic open cluster NGC 2506. We employ public calibration data sets collected in multiple filters to: (i) derive improved effective Point Spread Functions (ePSFs) for 10 NIRCam filters; (ii) extract high-precision photometry and astrometry for stars in the cluster, approaching the main sequence (MS) lower mass of ∼0.1 M⊙; and (iii) take advantage of the synergy between JWST and Gaia DR3 to perform a comprehensive analysis of the cluster’s global and local properties. We derived a MS binary fraction of ∼57.5 per cent, extending the Gaia limit (∼0.8 M⊙) to lower masses (∼0.4 M⊙) with JWST. We conducted a study on the mass functions (MFs) of NGC 2506, mapping the mass segregation with Gaia data, and extending MFs to lower masses with the JWST field. We also combined information on the derived MFs to infer an estimate of the cluster present-day total mass. Lastly, we investigated the presence of white dwarfs (WDs) and identified a strong candidate. However, to firmly establish its cluster membership, as well as that of four other WD candidates and of the majority of faint low-mass MS stars, further JWST equally deep observations will be required. We make publicly available catalogues, atlases, and the improved ePSFs.

 
more » « less
NSF-PAR ID:
10449412
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Oxford University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume:
525
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0035-8711
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: p. 2585-2604
Size(s):
p. 2585-2604
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract Recent work has shown that near-infrared (NIR) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry allows us to disentangle multiple populations (MPs) among M dwarfs of globular clusters (GCs) and to investigate this phenomenon in very-low-mass (VLM) stars. Here, we present the color–magnitude diagrams of nine GCs and the open cluster NGC 6791 in the F110W and F160W bands of HST, showing that the main sequences (MSs) below the knee are either broadened or split, thus providing evidence of MPs among VLM stars. In contrast, the MS of NGC 6791 is consistent with a single population. The color distribution of M dwarfs dramatically changes between different GCs, and the color width correlates with the cluster mass. We conclude that the MP ubiquity, variety, and dependence on GC mass are properties common to VLM and more-massive stars. We combined UV, optical, and NIR observations of NGC 2808 and NGC 6121 (M4) to identify MPs along with a wide range of stellar masses (∼0.2–0.8  ⊙ ), from the MS turnoff to the VLM regime, and measured, for the first time, their mass functions (MFs). We find that the fraction of MPs does not depend on the stellar mass and that their MFs have similar slopes. These findings indicate that the properties of MPs do not depend on stellar mass. In a scenario where the second generations formed in higher-density environments than the first generations, the possibility that the MPs formed with the same initial MF would suggest that it does not depend on the environment. 
    more » « less
  2. null (Ed.)
    ABSTRACT Accurate stellar parameters of stars in open clusters can help constrain models of stellar structure and evolution. Here, we wish to determine the age and metallicity content of the open cluster NGC 2506. To this end, we investigated three detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs; V2032, V4, and V5) for which we determined their masses and radii, as well as four red giant branch stars for which we determined their effective temperatures, surface gravities, and metallicities. Three of the stars in the DEBs have masses close to the cluster turn-off mass, allowing for extremely precise age determination. Comparing the values for the masses and radii of the binaries to BaSTI (a Bag of Stellar Tracks and Isochrones) isochrones, we estimated a cluster age of 2.01 ± 0.10 Gyr. This does depend on the models used in the comparison, where we have found that the inclusion of convective core-overshooting is necessary to properly model the cluster. From red giant branch stars, we determined values for the effective temperatures, the surface gravities, and the metallicities. From these we find a cluster metallicity of −0.36 ± 0.10 dex. Using this value and the values for the effective temperatures, we determine the reddening to be E(b − y) = 0.057 ± 0.004 mag. Furthermore, we derived the distance to the cluster from Gaia parallaxes and found 3.101 ± 0.017 kpc, and we have performed a radial velocity membership determination for stars in the field of the cluster. Finally, we report on the detection of oscillation signals in γ Dor and δ Scuti members in data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, including the possible detection of solar-like oscillations in two of the red giants. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract

    We exploit the astro‐photometric dataset of the multi‐epoch infrared parallel field of aHubble Space TelescopeLarge Programme aimed at studying the faintest stars of the globular cluster NGC 6752 to determine the luminosity and mass functions of the multiple stellar populations of this cluster. Thanks to the measurement of proper motions and deeper completeness, the results presented in this paper represent a significant improvement over those of previous studies. We successfully derived membership probabilities reaching stars as faint as , allowing us to reliably distinguish the three main stellar populations detected within this cluster. We employed a new set of model isochrones that have been individually fit to the colour–magnitude diagram of each population. We present a comprehensive analysis of the luminosity and mass functions for three stellar populations within NGC 6752. Notably, our findings reveal differences in the present‐day luminosity and mass functions of first‐generation and second‐generation stars; these differences are consistent with the manifestation of the effects of dynamical processes acting on populations with different initial spatial distributions. Finally, we publicly release the catalogues with positions, photometry, proper motions and memberships probabilities, as well as the stacked‐image atlases and all newly calculated stellar models.

     
    more » « less
  4. Abstract

    We have analyzed high-dispersion spectra in the Li 6708 Å region for 167 stars within the anticenter cluster NGC 2204. From 105 probable members, abundance analysis of 45 evolved stars produces [Fe/H] = −0.40 ± 0.12, [Si/Fe] = 0.14 ± 0.12, [Ca/Fe] = 0.29 ± 0.07, and [Ni/Fe] = −0.12 ± 0.10, where quoted errors are standard deviations. WithE(BV) = 0.07 and (mM)0= 13.12, appropriate isochrones provide an excellent match from the main sequence through the tip of the giant branch for an age of 1.85 ± 0.05 Gyr. Li spectrum synthesis producesA(Li) below 1.4 at the base of the red giant branch to a detectable value of −0.4 at the tip. Six probable asymptotic giant branch stars and all but one red clump star have only Li upper limits. A rapidly rotating red giant is identified as a possible Li-rich giant, assuming it is a red clump star. Main-sequence turnoff stars have a well-definedA(Li) = 2.83 ± 0.03 (sem) down to the Li-dip wall at the predicted mass of 1.29M. Despite having the same isochronal age as the more metal-rich NGC 2506, the luminosity distribution of red giants reflects a younger morphology similar to NGC 7789, possibly indicating a deeper impact of metallicity on stellar structure andA(Li) than previously assumed. As in NGC 2506 and NGC 7789, the NGC 2204 turnoff exhibits a broad range of rotation speeds, making abundance estimation impossible for some stars. The place of the cluster within GalacticA(Li) evolution is discussed.

     
    more » « less
  5. Abstract

    We present a robust methodology for identifying photometric binaries in star clusters. Using Gaia DR3, Pan-STARRS, and Two Micron All Sky Survey data, we self-consistently define the cluster parameters and binary demographics for the open clusters (OCs) NGC 2168 (M35), NGC 7789, NGC 6819, NGC 2682 (M67), NGC 188, and NGC 6791. These clusters span in age from ∼200 Myr (NGC 2168) to more than ∼8 Gyr (NGC 6791) and have all been extensively studied in the literature. We use the Bayesian Analysis of Stellar Evolution software suite to derive the age, distance, reddening, metallicity, binary fraction, and binary mass-ratio posterior distributions for each cluster. We perform a careful analysis of our completeness and also compare our results to previous spectroscopic surveys. For our sample of main-sequence stars with masses between 0.6 and 1M, we find that these OCs have similar binary fractions that are also broadly consistent with the field multiplicity fraction. Within the clusters, the binary fraction increases dramatically toward the cluster centers, likely a result of mass segregation. Furthermore nearly all clusters show evidence of mass segregation within the single and binary populations. The OC binary fraction increases significantly with cluster age in our sample, possibly due to a combination of mass-segregation and cluster-dissolution processes. We also find a hint of an anticorrelation between binary fraction and cluster central density as well as total cluster mass, possibly due to an increasing frequency of higher-energy close stellar encounters that inhibit long-period binary survival and/or formation.

     
    more » « less