Detection of open cluster rotation fields from Gaia EDR3 proper motions

TL;DR

This study uses Gaia EDR3 data to analyze the internal kinematics of over a thousand open clusters, identifying rotation, expansion, and contraction patterns, and revealing complex dynamical behaviors in these stellar groups.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel application of vector-field inference to Gaia data, enabling detailed kinematic maps and the detection of internal motions in a large sample of open clusters.

Findings

Detected rotation in 8 clusters, possible rotation in 9.

Observed expansion in 14 clusters, possible expansion in 15.

Identified contraction in 2 clusters and tidal tails in 5 clusters.

Abstract

Context. Most stars from in groups which with time disperse, building the field population of their host galaxy. In the Milky Way, open clusters have been continuously forming in the disk up to the present time, providing it with stars spanning a broad range of ages and masses. Observations of the details of cluster dissolution are, however, scarce. One of the main difficulties is obtaining a detailed characterisation of the internal cluster kinematics, which requires very high quality proper motions. For open clusters, which are typically loose groups with some tens to hundreds of members, there is the additional difficulty of inferring kinematic structures from sparse and irregular distributions of stars. Aims. Here, we aim to analyse internal stellar kinematics of open clusters, and identify rotation, expansion or contraction patterns. Methods. We use Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) astrometry and Integrated Nested Laplace Approximations to perform vector-field inference and create spatio-kinematic maps of 1237 open clusters. The sample is composed of clusters for which individual stellar memberships were known, thus minimising contamination from field stars in the velocity maps. Projection effects were corrected using EDR3 data complemented with radial velocities from Gaia Data Release 2 and other surveys. Results. We report the detection of rotation patterns in 8 open clusters. Nine additional clusters display possible rotation signs. We also observe 14 expanding clusters, with 15 other objects showing possible expansion patterns. Contraction is evident in two clusters, with one additional cluster presenting a more uncertain detection. In total, 53 clusters are found to display kinematic structures. Within these, elongated spatial distributions suggesting tidal tails are found in 5 clusters. [abridged]