The Hierarchical Structure of the Open Cluster NGC 752

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Jia, Delong, Yu, Heng, Shao, Zhengyi, Li, Lu
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Jia, Delong
Yu, Heng
Shao, Zhengyi
Li, Lu
author_facet Jia, Delong
Yu, Heng
Shao, Zhengyi
Li, Lu
contents The structure of open clusters provides key insights into their evolution and the dynamics of the Milky Way. Using Gaia DR3 data, we applied a hierarchical clustering algorithm to the open cluster NGC 752 based on the kinematical information and identified four substructures corresponding to different stages of disintegration. The cluster exhibits a pronounced signature of mass segregation. Its outer members show a clear expansion trend with a velocities of 0.25 $\rm{km~s^{-1}}$ in the plane of the sky. In addition, the system shows a projected rotational pattern with an angular velocity of approximately 0.03 $\rm{rad~Myr^{-1}}$. We also identified a correlation between the escape times of disturbed members and the epochs at which the cluster crossed the Galactic disk, highlighting the role of Galactic tidal forces in accelerating cluster dissolution. We conclude that hierarchical clustering based on projection bounding energy is effective for studying the internal structure of star clusters, but it has limitations when dealing with unconstrained structures such as tidal tails.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_07127
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Hierarchical Structure of the Open Cluster NGC 752
Jia, Delong
Yu, Heng
Shao, Zhengyi
Li, Lu
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The structure of open clusters provides key insights into their evolution and the dynamics of the Milky Way. Using Gaia DR3 data, we applied a hierarchical clustering algorithm to the open cluster NGC 752 based on the kinematical information and identified four substructures corresponding to different stages of disintegration. The cluster exhibits a pronounced signature of mass segregation. Its outer members show a clear expansion trend with a velocities of 0.25 $\rm{km~s^{-1}}$ in the plane of the sky. In addition, the system shows a projected rotational pattern with an angular velocity of approximately 0.03 $\rm{rad~Myr^{-1}}$. We also identified a correlation between the escape times of disturbed members and the epochs at which the cluster crossed the Galactic disk, highlighting the role of Galactic tidal forces in accelerating cluster dissolution. We conclude that hierarchical clustering based on projection bounding energy is effective for studying the internal structure of star clusters, but it has limitations when dealing with unconstrained structures such as tidal tails.
title The Hierarchical Structure of the Open Cluster NGC 752
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07127