Aging Star Clusters Nick DiPreta

Globular Clusters Similar age 50 to 300 light years across Hundreds to 200 million stars Formed when the universe was young Hercules Cluster astro.com/php/phpthumb/cache/phpThumb_cache_rc- astro.com_srce4d4565e800c0a1c8e17c177a7713b4e_par0ddf367c5f01d9ba090bf356b67 61f52_dat jpeg astro.com/php/phpthumb/cache/phpThumb_cache_rc- astro.com_srce4d4565e800c0a1c8e17c177a7713b4e_par0ddf367c5f01d9ba090bf356b67 61f52_dat jpeg

Knowledge Base Cont. Open Clusters Stars have relatively Same age Similar Chemical Composition Composed of Younger Stars which are bright and can be easily observed Pleiades g.jpg g.jpg

Mass Segregation Larger Stars move towards center Smaller stars move towards outer edges

Minimum Spanning Tree Prim algorithm Can be automated in excel AB C

Using The Minimum Spanning Tree to Trace Mass Segregation quantified mass segregation Richard J. Allison 2009

Metallicity Heavier metals are created over time Shows amount of fusion that has occurred Shows age

Stellar Rotation proposed indirect measure of stellar age slows down as the star ages Can be measured using light curves- measurements of periodicity in photometric luminosity

Stellar Ages From Stellar Rotation Meiborn 2008 blue red

Mass segregation patterns found of single stars in Pleiades Raboud and Milliad(2000)

Purpose To determine if stellar mass segregation occurs over time, and if so why. Also, to see if there is a relationship between age and mass segregation. To explore and determine the relationship between radial velocity and age.

Methodology Candidates Images obtained using CCD imager Images processed and sharpened using photoshop MST calculated using Prim algorithm Mass Segregation Formula by Richard J Allison Metallicity taken from surveys using National Virtual Observatory Rotational velocity taken photometrically in 3hrs/ hr for the full period of rotation of specific stars within a cluster n=40 (duration to be determined) APT used to determine luminosity Change in luminosity plotted to form light curve and determine rate of rotation Compared to Images obtained using CCD imager Images processed and sharpened using photoshop

Candidates M39 M29 M103 M52 NGC 457 NGC 663 NGC 7790 NGC 7788 NGC 7209 NGC 7243 Pleiades- M45 Beehive Cluster- M44 Perseus Double Cluster-NGC The Butterfly Cluster or M6 M34 M35 M47 M46 Jewel Box Cluster- NGC 4755 Ptolemy Cluster- M7

Bibliography The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright ©2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All Rights Reserved. Eugenio Carretta “Abundances in Red Giant Stars of NGC 2808 and Correlations between Chemical Anomalies and Global Parameters in Globular Clusters.” Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna. The Astronomical Journal, 2006 March. Lee, H.; Kim, S.-L.; Kim, H.-J. ; Jeon, Y.-B.; Park, H,-S. “New Variable Stars in the Open Cluster M103.” Konkoly Observatory, Budapest, 26 October 2005, Dept. of Earth Science Education, Korea National University of Education, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. Gonzalo Alcaino and William Liller “Ages of Globular Clusters Derived from BVRI CCD photometry.” Instituto Isaac Newton, Ministerio de Educación de Chile, Santiago, Chile. Societá Astronomica Italiana, Vol 57 No Prof. Fabrizio Mazzucconi, Enrico Albisetti and Bernardo Mannucci. “Atlas of The Skies: Journeying between the stars and planets in the discovery of the universe.”TAJ Books 2003 Mike Lynch. “The Essential guide to Our Night Sky: New York Starwatch.” Voyageur Press 2005 p.46 and 47 Elmegreen, Bruce G., Yuri Efremov, Ralph E. Pudritz, and Hans Zinnercker. “Observations and Theory of Star Cluster Formation.” Chandra X-ray Observatory (2008, April 29). Oldest Known Celestial Objects are Surprisingly Immature. Science Daily. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from ESA Hubble Information Centre (2008, August 6). Thousands of Globular Clusters Identified in Virgo Cluster of Galaxies. Science Daily. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from Meibom, Søren. "Stellar Ages from Stellar Rotation." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 4.S258 (2008): 357.