The embedded cluster DBSB48 in the nebula Hoffleit18: comparison with Trumpler14

TL;DR

This study compares two young star clusters, DBSB48 and Trumpler14, using infrared photometry to determine their fundamental parameters, ages, structures, and evolutionary states, revealing their very young ages and compact cores.

Contribution

It provides detailed infrared-based parameters and structural analysis of DBSB48 and Trumpler14, highlighting their small core sizes and young ages, which advances understanding of early cluster formation.

Findings

DBSB48 has an age of approximately 1.1 Myr with 55% of stars showing infrared excess.

Trumpler14 has an age of approximately 1.7 Myr with 28% of stars showing infrared excess.

Both clusters have small core radii, smaller than typical open clusters.

Abstract

We derive fundamental parameters of the embedded cluster DBSB48 in the southern nebula Hoffleit18 and the very young open cluster Trumpler14, by means of deep JHKs infrared photometry. We build colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams to derive reddening and age, based on main sequence and pre-main sequence distributions. Radial stellar density profiles are used to study cluster structure and guide photometric diagram extractions. Field-star decontamination is applied to uncover the intrinsic cluster sequences in the diagrams. Ages are inferred from K-excess fractions. A prominent pre-main-sequence population is present in DBSB48, and the K-excess fraction f_K=55+/-6% gives an age of 1.1+/-0.5Myr. A mean reddening of A_K_s=0.9+/-0.03 was found, corresponding to $A_V=8.2\pm0.3$. The cluster CMD is consistent with the far kinematic distance of 5 kpc for Hoffleit 18. For Trumpler 14 we derived similar parameters as in previous studies in the optical, in particular an age of $1.7\pm0.7$ Myr. The fraction of stars with infrared excess in Trumpler 14 is $f_K=28\pm4%$. Despite the young ages, both clusters are described by a King profile with core radii $\rc=0.46\pm0.05$ pc and $\rc=0.35\pm0.04$ pc, respectively for DBSB 48 and Trumpler 14. Such cores are smaller than those of typical open clusters. Small cores are probably related to the cluster formation and/or parent molecular cloud fragmentation. In DBSB 48, the magnitude extent of the upper main sequence is $\Delta \ks\approx2$ mag, while in Trumpler 14 it is $\Delta \ks\approx5$ mag, consistent with the estimated ages.