Bibcode
Velasco, S.; García, M.; Negueruela, I.
Bibliographical reference
Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VII, Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA), held in Valencia, July 9 - 13, 2012, Eds.: J.C. Guirado, L.M. Lara, V. Quilis, and J. Gorgas., pp.675-675
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5
2013
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
Massive stars (M ≥ 9 M_{&sun;}) are usually formed in OB
associations, consisting of one or more not very massive open clusters
and a halo of scattered young stars. The study of these open clusters
can provide clues about how stellar formation proceeds from the parent
molecular clouds. We present first results on a project to understand
sequential star formation mechanisms in OB associations. We have chosen
associations Cas OB4, Cas OB5 and Cas OB7, close to the Cassiopeia
constellation, at l = 110°-125°. Previous determinations of
their distance provided very similar values for them all, and placed
them on the Perseus Arm. This study aims at improved distance and age
determinations using new spectroscopic observations and existing
photometry. The goal is to investigate whether the clusters in Cas OB4,
Cas OB5 and Cas OB7 are separate entities or can be enclosed in a global
common OB association. If associated,we will check for evidence of
induced star formation. We preselected about 100 stars from 12 clusters,
based on photometric criteria. Long-slit spectra were taken with the
Intermediate Dispersion Spectrograph at the Isaac Newton Telescope (2.5
m), located in La Palma's Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos. We
used the R632V grating, to achieve a spectral coverage between 3500
Å and 5500 Å and spectral resolution of 0.90 Å
px^{-1}. The observed spectra have been used to determine the spectral
type and luminosity class of the sample stars. The spectral
classification yields the stellar properties (from calibrations), and
will enable the reconstruction of the HR-diagram. We present in this
poster newly discovered B-type stars in two selected clusters.