Open AccessNew stellar members of the Coma Berenices open star cluster
Author(s) -
Casewell S. L.,
Jameson R. F.,
Dobbie P. D.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09689.x
Subject(s) - physics , open cluster , proper motion , astrophysics , photometry (optics) , sky , coma (optics) , astronomy , star cluster , observatory , cluster (spacecraft) , luminosity function , luminosity , stars , galaxy , computer science , programming language
We present the results of a survey of the Coma Berenices open star cluster (Melotte 111), undertaken using proper motions from the USNO‐B1.0 (United States Naval Observatory) and photometry from the Two‐Micron All‐Sky Survey (2MASS) Point Source catalogues. We have identified 60 new candidate members with masses in the range 1.007 < M < 0.269 M ⊙ . For each we have estimated a membership probability by extracting control clusters from the proper motion vector diagram. All 60 are found to have greater than 60 per cent probability of being members, more than doubling the number of known cluster members. The new luminosity function for the cluster peaks at bright magnitudes, but is rising at K ≈ 12 , indicating that it is likely that lower mass members may exist. The mass function also supports this hypothesis.