Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jan 2012
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21915126c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #151.26
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Ruprecht 147 is a hitherto unappreciated open cluster that holds great promise as a standard in fundamental stellar astrophysics. Past attempts at characterization have been hindered by a limited (and in one case, a completely erroneous) membership list and poor photometry. We are amidst a multi-telescope campaign to characterize R147, catalog its members, and prove its benchmark status. We have conducted a radial velocity survey of astrometric candidates with Lick, Palomar, and MMT/Hectochelle and identify over 100 high-confidence members, including 5 blue stragglers, 11 red giants, and 4 SB2 binaries. We are in the process of determining the cluster metallicity from an SME analysis of three Keck/HIRES spectra (initial result indicates near-Solar metallicity). We have obtained deep CFHT/MegaCam g'r'i'z' photometry and fit Padova isochrones using the tau-squared maximum-likelihood procedure of Naylor et al. (2009). While uncertainty remains due to the unresolved binary population and likelihood of differential extinction across this large cluster, we find R147 to be approximately at 250 pc and 2.8 Gyr, making it the closest old cluster by a factor of 2 in each dimension. We intend to submit for publication our membership list and initial results prior to AAS.
Curtis Jason L.
Wright Jason T.
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