Repository logo
 

The Gaia-ESO Survey: a kinematical and dynamical study of four young open clusters

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Bravi, L 
Zari, E 
Sacco, GG 
Randich, S 
Jeffries, RD 

Abstract

Context. The origin and dynamical evolution of star clusters is an important topic in stellar astrophysics. Several models have been proposed to understand the formation of bound and unbound clusters and their evolution, and these can be tested by examining the kinematical and dynamical properties of clusters over a wide range of ages and masses. Aims. We use the Gaia -ESO Survey products to study four open clusters (IC 2602, IC 2391, IC 4665, and NGC 2547) that lie in the age range between 20 and 50 Myr. Methods. We employ the gravity index γ and the equivalent width of the lithium line at 6708 Å, together with e ff ective temperature T e ff , and the metallicity of the stars in order to discard observed contaminant stars. Then, we derive the cluster radial velocity disper- sions σ c , the total cluster mass M tot , and the half mass radius r hm . Using the Gaia -DR1 TGAS catalogue, we independently derive the intrinsic velocity dispersion of the clusters from the astrometric parameters of cluster members. Results. The intrinsic radial velocity dispersions derived by the spectroscopic data are larger than those derived from the TGAS data, possibly due to the di ff erent masses of the considered stars. Using M tot and r hm we derive the virial velocity dispersion σ v ir and we find that three out of four clusters are supervirial. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that these clusters are dispersing, as predicted by the "residual gas expulsion" scenario. However, recent simulations show that the virial ratio of young star clusters may be overestimated if it is determined using the global velocity dispersion, since the clusters are not fully relaxed.

Description

Keywords

stars: pre-main sequence, stars: kinematics and dynamics, open clusters and associations: general, stars: formation, techniques: spectroscopic, techniques: radial velocities

Journal Title

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1432-0746
1432-0746

Volume Title

615

Publisher

EDP Sciences
Sponsorship
Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2012-541)
European Research Council (320360)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Research Infrastructures (RI) (653477)