NGC 6819 is a richly populated, older open cluster situated within the Kepler field. A CCD survey of the cluster on the uvbyCaHbeta system, coupled with proper-motion membership, has been used to isolate 382 highly probable, single-star unevolved mai
n-sequence members over a 20-arcminute field centered on the cluster. From 278 F dwarfs with high precision photometry in all indices, a mean reddening of E(b-y) = 0.117 +/- 0.005 or E(B-V) = 0.160 +/- 0.007 is derived, where the standard errors of the mean include both internal errors and the photometric zero-point uncertainty. With the reddening fixed, the metallicity derived from the same 278 stars is [Fe/H] = -0.116 +/- 0.101 from m_1 and -0.055 +/- 0.033 from hk, for a weighted average of [Fe/H] = -0.06 +/- 0.04, where the quoted standard errors of the mean values include the internal errors from the photometric scatter plus the uncertainty in the photometric zero points. If metallicity is derived using individual reddening values for each star to account for potential reddening variation across the face of the cluster, the analogous result is unchanged. The cluster members at the turnoff of the color-magnitude diagram are used to test and confirm the recently discovered variation in reddening across the face of the cluster, with a probable range in the variation of Delta[E(B-V)] = 0.045 +/-0.015. With the slightly higher reddening and lower [Fe/H] compared to commonly adopted values, isochrone fitting leads to an age of 2.3 +/- 0.2 Gyr for an apparent modulus of (m-M) = 12.40 +/-0.12.
NGC 5822 is a richly populated, moderately nearby, intermediate-age open cluster covering an area larger than the full moon on the sky. A CCD survey of the cluster on the UBVI and uvbyCaHbeta systems shows that the cluster is superposed upon a heavil
y reddened field of background stars with E(B-V) > 0.35 mag, while the cluster has small and uniform reddening at E(b-y) = 0.075 +/- 0.008 mag or E(B-V) = 0.103 +/- 0.011 mag, based upon 48 and 61 probable A and F dwarf single-star members, respectively. The errors quoted include both internal photometric precision and external photometric uncertainties. The metallicity derived from 61 probable single F-star members is [Fe/H] = -0.058 +/- 0.027 (sem) from m_1 and 0.010 +/- 0.020 (sem) from hk, for a weighted average of [Fe/H] = -0.019 +/- 0.023, where the errors refer to the internal errors from the photometry alone. With reddening and metallicity fixed, the cluster age and apparent distance modulus are obtained through a comparison to appropriate isochrones in both VI and BV, producing 0.9 +/- 0.1 Gyr and 9.85 +/- 0.15, respectively. The giant branch remains dominated by two distinct clumps of stars, though the brighter clump seems a better match to the core-He-burning phase while the fainter clump straddles the first-ascent red giant branch. Four potential new clump members have been identified, equally split between the two groups. Reanalysis of the UBV two-color data extending well down the main sequence shows it to be optimally matched by reddening near E(B-V) = 0.10 rather than the older value of 0.15, leading to [Fe/H] between -0.16 and 0.00 from the ultraviolet excess of the unevolved dwarfs. The impact of the lower reddening and younger age of the cluster on previous analyses of the cluster is discussed.
NGC 6791 is an old, metal-rich star cluster normally considered to be a disk open cluster. Its red giant branch is broad in color yet, to date, there is no evidence for a metallicity spread among its stars. The turnoff region of the main sequence is
also wider than expected from broad-band photometric errors. Analysis of the color-magnitude diagram reveals a color gradient between the core of the cluster and its periphery; we evaluate the potential explanations for this trend. While binarity and photometric errors appear unlikely, reddening variations across the face of the cluster cannot be excluded. We argue that a viable alternative explanation for this color trend is an age spread resulting from a protracted formation time for the cluster; the stars of the inner region of NGC 6791 appear to be older by ~1 Gyr on average than those of the outer region.
High-dispersion spectra of 89 potential members of the old, super-metal-rich open cluster, NGC 6253, have been obtained with the HYDRA multi-object spectrograph. Based upon radial-velocity measurements alone, 47 stars at the turnoff of the cluster co
lor-magnitude diagram (CMD) and 18 giants are identified as potential members. Five turnoff stars exhibit evidence of binarity while proper-motion data eliminates two of the dwarfs as members. The mean cluster radial velocity from probable single-star members is -29.4 +/- 1.3 km/sec (sd). A discussion of the current estimates for the cluster reddening, derived independently of potential issues with the BV cluster photometry, lead to an adopted reddening of E(B-V) = 0.22 +/- 0.04. From equivalent width analyses of 38 probable single-star members near the CMD turnoff, the weighted average abundances are found to be [Fe/H] = +0.43 +/- 0.01, [Ni/H] = +0.53 +/- 0.02 and [Si/H] = +0.43 (+0.03,-0.04), where the errors refer to the standard errors of the weighted mean. Weak evidence is found for a possible decline in metallicity with increasing luminosity among stars at the turnoff. We discuss the possibility that our turnoff stars have been affected by microscopic diffusion. For 15 probable single-star members among the giants, spectrum synthesis leads to abundances of +0.46 (+0.02,-0.03) for [Fe/H]. While less than half the age of NGC 6791, NGC 6253 is at least as metal-rich and, within the uncertainties, exhibits the same general abundance pattern as that typified by super-metal-rich dwarfs of the galactic bulge.
High-dispersion spectra centered on the Li 6708 A line have been obtained for 70 potential members of the open cluster NGC 3680, with an emphasis on stars in the turnoff region. A measurable Li abundance has been derived for 53 stars, 39 of which hav
e radial velocities and proper motions consistent with cluster membership. After being transferred to common temperature and abundance scales, previous Li estimates have been combined to generate a sample of 49 members, 40 of which bracket the cluster Li-dip. Spectroscopic elemental analysis of 8 giants and 5 turnoff stars produces [Fe/H] = -0.17 +/- 0.07 (sd) and -0.07 +/- 0.02 (sd), respectively. We also report measurements of Ca, Si and Ni which are consistent with scaled-solar ratios within the errors. Adopting [Fe/H] = -0.08 (Sect. 3.6), Y^2 isochrone comparisons lead to an age of 1.75 +/- 0.10 Gyr and an apparent modulus of (m-M) = 10.30 +/- 0.15 for the cluster, placing the center of the Li-dip at 1.35 +/- 0.03 solar masses. Among the giants, 5 of 9 cluster members are now known to have measurable Li with A(Li) near 1.0. A combined sample of dwarfs in the Hyades and Praesepe is used to delineate the Li-dip profile at 0.7 Gyr and [Fe/H] = +0.15, establishing its center at 1.42 +/- 0.02 solar masses and noting the possible existence of secondary dip on its red boundary. When evolved to the typical age of the clusters NGC 752, IC 4651 and NGC 3680, the Hyades/Praesepe Li-dip profile reproduces the observed morphology of the combined Li-dip within the CMDs of the intermediate-age clusters while implying a metallicity dependence for the central mass of the Li-dip given by Mass = (1.38 +/-0.04) + (0.4 +/- 0.2)[Fe/H]. The implications of the similarity of the Li-dichotomy among giants in NGC 752 and IC 4651 and the disagreement with the pattern among NGC 3680 giants are discussed.
