A Gaia based analysis of open cluster Berkeley 27

TL;DR

This study uses Gaia DR3 data to analyze the properties, membership, and orbit of the open cluster Berkeley 27, providing new insights into its structure, age, distance, and Galactic motion.

Contribution

First Gaia DR3-based detailed analysis of Berkeley 27's membership, structure, and orbit, including proper motion, age, distance, and dynamical behavior.

Findings

Cluster radius estimated at 3.74 arcmin

Mean proper motion determined as (-1.076, 0.152) mas/yr

Berkeley 27 follows a circular orbit around the Galactic center

Abstract

In this paper, we have used the Gaia's Data Release-3 (DR3) data to study an intermediate-age open cluster Berkeley 27 (Be 27). A total of 131 most probable cluster members are picked within the cluster's radius based on the membership probability ($> 80\%$). The cluster's radius was estimated as 3.74 arcmin. The mean proper motion (PM) of Be 27 was determined to be ($\mu_{\alpha} cos{\delta}$, $\mu_{\delta}$)= ($-1.076\pm0.008$, $0.152\pm0.007$)~mas~yr$^{-1}$. The blue straggler stars (BSS) of the cluster were found to be located in the central region. Theoretical isochrones of metallicity Z$_{metal}$= 0.008 were compared to the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) of Be 27. As a result, a heliocentric distance of 4.8$\pm$0.2 kpc and log (age) = 9.36$\pm$0.03 were determined for Be 27. The Galactic orbits are derived using the Galactic potential model which demonstrate that Be 27 follows a circular path around the Galactic center. The cluster does not seem to be affected much by the tidal forces from the Galactic thin disk.