No Arabic abstract
Context. Open clusters are ideal test particles to study the chemical evolution of the Galactic disc. However the existing high-resolution abundance determinations, not only of [Fe/H], but also of other key elements, is largely insufficient at the moment. Aims. To increase the number of Galactic open clusters with high quality abundance determinations, and to gather all the literature determinations published so far. Methods. Using high-resolution (R~30000), high-quality (S/N$>60 per pixel), we obtained spectra for twelve stars in four open clusters with the fiber spectrograph FOCES, at the 2.2 Calar Alto Telescope in Spain. We use the classical equivalent widths analysis to obtain accurate abundances of sixteen elements: Al, Ba, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, La, Mg, Na, Nd, Ni, Sc, Si, Ti, V, Y. Oxygen abundances have been derived through spectral synthesis of the 6300 A forbidden line. Results. We provide the first determination of abundance ratios other than Fe for NGC 752 giants, and ratios in agreement with the literature for the Hyades, Praesepe and Be 32. We use a compilation of literature data to study Galactic trends of [Fe/H] and [alpha/Fe] with Galactocentric radius, age, and height above the Galactic plane. We find no significant trends, but some indication for a flattening of [Fe/H] at large Rgc, and for younger ages in the inner disc. We also found a possible decrease of [Fe/H] with |z| in the outer disc, and a weak increase of [alpha/Fe] with Rgc.
Lithium abundances in open clusters provide an effective way of probing mixing processes in the interior of solar-type stars and convection is not the only mixing mechanism at work. To understand which mixing mechanisms are occurring in low-mass stars, we test non-standard models, which were calibrated using the Sun, with observations of three open clusters of different ages, the Hyades, NGC 752, and M67. We collected all available data, and for the open cluster NGC 752, we redetermine the equivalent widths and the lithium abundances. Two sets of evolutionary models were computed, one grid of only standard models with microscopic diffusion and one grid with rotation-induced mixing, at metallicity [Fe/H] = 0.13, 0.0, and 0.01 dex, respectively, using the Toulouse-Geneva evolution code. We compare observations with models in a color-magnitude diagram for each cluster to infer a cluster age and a stellar mass for each cluster member. Then, for each cluster we analyze the lithium abundance of each star as a function of mass. The data for the open clusters Hyades, NGC 752, and M67, are compatible with lithium abundance being a function of both age and mass for stars in these clusters. Our models with meridional circulation qualitatively reproduce the general trend of lithium abundance evolution as a function of stellar mass in all three clusters. This study points out the importance of mass dependence in the evolution of lithium abundance as a function of age. Comparison between models with and without rotation-induced mixing shows that the inclusion of meridional circulation is essential to account for lithium depletion in low-mass stars. However, our results suggest that other mechanisms should be included to explain the Li-dip and the lithium dispersion in low-mass stars.
We have obtained CCD BVI imaging of the old open clusters Berkeley 32 and King 11. Using the synthetic colour-magnitude diagram method with three different sets of stellar evolution models of various metallicities, with and without overshooting, we have determined their age, distance, reddening, and indicative metallicity, as well as distance from the Galactic centre and height from the Galactic plane. The best parameters derived for Berkeley 32 are: subsolar metallicity (Z=0.008 represents the best choice, Z=0.006 or 0.01 are more marginally acceptable), age = 5.0-5.5 Gyr (models with overshooting; without overshooting the age is 4.2-4.4 Gyr with poorer agreement), (m-M)_0=12.4-12.6, E(B-V)=0.12-0.18 (with the lower value being more probable because it corresponds to the best metallicity), Rgc ~ 10.7-11 kpc, and |Z| ~ 231-254 pc. The best parameters for King 11 are: Z=0.01, age=3.5-4.75 Gyr, (m-M)_0=11.67-11.75, E(B-V)=1.03-1.06, Rgc ~ 9.2-10 kpc, and |Z| ~ 253-387 pc.
Randich and Schmitt [1995, A&A 298, 115] found that the coronal activity of solar-type and low mass stars in Praesepe is significantly lower than that of stars in the Hyades cluster. We have carried out several tests in order to find a possible explanation for this result. We have measured radial velocities of two groups of Praesepe stars (a dF-dK sample and a dM sample) and have measured H$alpha$ as a chromospheric activity index for the dM sample. We conclude that the Praesepe catalog used in the X-ray analysis does not contain a significant number of non-members. The comparison of the H$alpha$ equivalent widths for the M dwarfs in Praesepe with those in the Hyades indicates that, at least for stars in this mass range, the Praesepe stars are as active or more active than their Hyades counterparts. We have also analyzed a few ROSAT PSPC pointings of Praesepe in order to obtain a new and independent estimate of the X-ray luminosities and upper limits for a small sample of Praesepe members concluding that the small differences between the old and new upper limits are not large enough to explain the dichotomy in the X-ray properties of Praesepe and the Hyades. Therefore, our examination of the available data does not provide a clear reason to explain why the X-ray luminosity functions of the two clusters are different. Part of the explanation could be found in the binaries. Speculatively, these clusters could have different orbital period distributions, with more short period binaries among the Hyades, which would show larger coronal activity.
We present a detailed near-infrared chemical abundance analysis of 10 red giant members of the Galactic open cluster NGC 752. High-resolution (R$simeq$45000) near-infrared spectral data were gathered with the Immersion Grating Infrared Spectrograph (IGRINS), providing simultaneous coverage of the complete H and K bands. We derived the abundances of H-burning (C, N, O), $alpha$ (Mg, Si, S, Ca), light odd-Z (Na, Al, P, K), Fe-group (Sc, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni) and neutron-capture (Ce, Nd, Yb) elements. We report the abundances of S, P, K, Ce, and Yb in NGC 752 for the first time. Our analysis yields solar metallicity and solar abundance ratios for almost all of the elements heavier than the CNO group in NGC 752. O and N abundances were measured from a number of OH and CN features in the $H$ band, and C abundances were determined mainly from CO molecular lines in the K band. High excitation ion{C}{i} lines present in both near-infrared and optical spectra were also included in the C abundance determinations. Carbon isotopic ratios were derived from the R-branch band heads of first overtone (2-0) and (3$-$1) $^{12}$CO and (2-0) $^{13}$CO lines near 23440 AA and (3-1) $^{13}$CO lines at about 23730 AA. The CNO abundances and $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C ratios are all consistent with our giants having completed first dredge-up envelope mixing of CN-cyle products. We independently assessed NGC 752 stellar membership from Gaia astrometry, leading to a new color-magnitude diagram for this cluster. Applications of Victoria isochrones and MESA models to these data yield an updated NGC 752 cluster age (1.52 Gyr) and evolutionary stage indications for the program stars. The photometric evidence and spectroscopic light element abundances all suggest that the most, perhaps all of the program stars are members of the helium-burning red clump in this cluster.
Classical Cepheids in open clusters play an important role in benchmarking stellar evolution models, anchoring the cosmic distance scale, and invariably securing the Hubble constant. NGC 6649, NGC 6664 and Berkeley 55 are three pertinent clusters that host classical Cepheids and red (super)giants, and an analysis was consequently initiated to assess newly acquired spectra ($approx$50), archival photometry, and $Gaia$ DR2 data. Importantly, for the first time chemical abundances are determined for the evolved members of NGC 6649 and NGC 6664. We find that they are slightly metal-poor relative to the mean Galactic gradient, and an overabundance of Ba is observed. Those clusters likely belong to the thin disc, and the latter finding supports DOrazi et al. (2009) $s$-enhanced scenario. NGC 6664 and Berkeley 55 exhibit radial velocities consistent with Galactic rotation, while NGC 6649 displays a peculiar velocity. The resulting age estimates for the clusters ($approx$70 Ma) imply masses for the (super)giant demographic of $approx$6 M$_{sun}$. Lastly, the observed yellow-to-red (super)giant ratio is lower than expected, and the overall differences relative to models reflect outstanding theoretical uncertainties.