Search for Associations Containing Young stars (SACY): Chemical tagging IC 2391 & the Argus association

TL;DR

This study investigates the chemical and kinematic connection between the open cluster IC 2391 and the Argus association, providing evidence that they share a common origin through detailed elemental abundance analysis.

Contribution

It presents a homogeneous high-resolution chemical abundance study confirming the shared origin of IC 2391 and Argus based on their similar chemical patterns and kinematics.

Findings

IC 2391 and Argus stars have similar [Fe/H] and elemental abundances.

Both systems show enhanced Ba abundances (~0.6 dex).

The data supports Argus stars originating from IC 2391.

Abstract

We explore the possible connection between the open cluster IC 2391 and the unbound Argus association identified by the SACY survey. In addition to common kinematics and ages between these two systems, here we explore their chemical abundance patterns to confirm if the two substructures shared a common origin. We carry out a homogenous high-resolution elemental abundance study of eight confirmed members of IC 2391 as well as six members of the Argus association using UVES spectra. We derive spectroscopic stellar parameters and abundances for Fe, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Ni and Ba. All stars in the open cluster and Argus association were found to share similar abundances with the scatter well within the uncertainties, where [Fe/H] = -0.04 +/-0.03 for cluster stars and [Fe/H] = -0.06 +/-0.05 for Argus stars. Effects of over-ionisation/excitation were seen for stars cooler than roughly 5200K as previously noted in the literature. Also, enhanced Ba abundances of around 0.6 dex were observed in both systems. The common ages, kinematics and chemical abundances strongly support that the Argus association stars originated from the open cluster IC 2391. Simple modeling of this system find this dissolution to be consistent with two-body interactions.