Old open clusters in the inner Galaxy: FSR1744, FSR89 and FSR31

TL;DR

This study characterizes three open clusters in the inner Galaxy using near-infrared data, revealing their properties, dynamical states, and implications for cluster disruption processes within the Solar circle.

Contribution

It provides detailed analysis of FSR1744, FSR89, and FSR31, enhancing understanding of their structure, evolution, and the disruption mechanisms affecting inner Galaxy open clusters.

Findings

All three clusters are Gyr-class with small core radii.

Disruption driven by dynamical evolution is dominant in the inner Galaxy.

Structural parameters suggest external tidal effects influence cluster evolution.

Abstract

We establish the nature and derive fundamental and structural parameters of the recently catalogued objects FSR1744, FSR89 and FSR31. This work intends to provide clues to constrain the Galactic tidal disruption efficiency, improve statistics of the open cluster parameter space, and better define their age-distribution function inside the Solar circle. Properties of the objects are investigated by means of 2MASS colour-magnitude diagrams and stellar radial density profiles built with field star decontaminated photometry. Diagnostic-diagrams for structural parameters are used to help disentangle dynamical from high-background effects affecting such centrally projected open clusters. FSR1744, FSR89 and FSR31 are Gyr-class OCs located at Galactocentric distances 4.0 - 5.6kpc. Compared to nearby OCs, they have small core and limiting radii. With respect to the small number of OCs observed in the inner Galaxy, the emerging scenario in the near-infrared favours disruption driven by dynamical evolution rather than observational limitations associated with absorption and/or high background levels. Internally, the main processes associated with the dynamical evolution are, e.g. mass loss by stellar evolution, mass segregation and evaporation. Externally they are, e.g. tidal stress from the disk and bulge, and interactions with giant molecular clouds. FSR1744, FSR89 and FSR31 have structural parameters consistent with their Galactocentric distances, in the sense that tidally induced effects may have accelerated the dynamical evolution.