A Dynamical Evolution Study of the Open Clusters: Berkeley 10, Berkeley 81, Berkeley 89 and Ruprecht 135

TL;DR

This study uses Gaia EDR3 data to analyze the dynamical evolution of four open clusters, revealing their relaxation states, mass segregation, and structural changes over time, with implications for their formation and interaction with the galaxy.

Contribution

It provides a detailed dynamical analysis of four open clusters using Gaia EDR3 data, highlighting their relaxation, mass segregation, and structural evolution, including potential primordial origins.

Findings

All clusters are dynamically relaxed with small relaxation times.

Mass function slopes indicate low-mass star dominance and advanced mass segregation.

Structural changes suggest expansion in Be 89 and shrinkage in Be 10 and Be 81.

Abstract

By utilising Gaia EDR3 photometric / astrometric data, we studied the dynamical evolution from the obtained astrophysical, structural and dynamical parameters of the open clusters (OCs), Berkeley 10 (Be 10), Berkeley 81 (Be 81), Berkeley 89 (Be 89), and Ruprecht 135 (Ru 135). The Gaia EDR3 photometric distances from the isochrone fitting method are smaller than the ones of Gaia EDR2. The relaxation times of four OCs are smaller than their ages, in this regard, they are dynamically relaxed. Their steep overall mass function slopes mean that their low mass stars outnumber their massive ones. Their large $\tau$ / relatively small $t_{rlx}$ values imply an advanced mass segregation. Therefore, they seem to have lost their low-mass stars much to the field. Be 89's outer parts indicate an expansion with time. However, Be 10 and Be 81 show the relatively shrinkage core/cluster radii due to dynamical evolution. Ru 135 (1.0 Gyr) may have a primordial origin, instead of shrinking in size and mass with time. Be 89's tidal radius is less than its cluster radius. This means that its member stars lie within its tidal radius, in the sense it is gravitationally bound to the cluster. For the rest OCs, the cluster members beyond their tidal radii are gravitationally unbound to the clusters, which are more influenced by the potential of the Galaxy.