Young Open Star Clusters: The Spatial Distribution of Metallicity in the Solar Neighborhood

TL;DR

This study compares the spatial metallicity distribution of young open star clusters and field Cepheids in the solar neighborhood, revealing differences in their gradients and implications for interstellar matter mixing.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of metallicity gradients in young clusters and Cepheids, highlighting differences in their spatial distributions and formation conditions.

Findings

Young clusters show low metallicities atypical of Cepheids.

Both objects have negative radial metallicity gradients.

Clusters in the Perseus complex are notably metal-poor.

Abstract

We perform a comparative analysis of the spatial distribution of young (<50 Myr) open star clusters and field Cepheids with different metallicities. A significant fraction of young clusters are shown to have low metallicities atypical of field Cepheids. Both types of objects exhibit approximately equal (in magnitude) negative radial metallicity gradients, while their azimuthal metallicity gradients differ outside the error limits and have opposite signs. Among the stellar complexes identified by young clusters, the most metal-poor clusters are grouped in the Perseus complex. It is the clusters of this complex that are responsible for the radial and azimuthal metallicity gradients among young clusters. The described properties are indicative of a weak mixing of interstellar matter before the onset of star formation there. Significant differences between the spatial distributions of open clusters and field stars with different metallicities suggest different conditions required for the formation of these types of objects.