Program: GN-2021B-Q-321

Title:Characterizing seven promising cluster benchmarks for gyrochronology
PI:Jason Curtis
Co-I(s): Marcel Agüeros, Simon Schuler, Jeff Andrews, Julio Chaname, Ruth Angus

Abstract

Gyrochronology is a promising technique for age-dating Sun-like stars (FGK) according to how fast they spin. The calibration of the rotation-age relationship requires empirical constraints from benchmark star clusters. The large gap in age between the Pleiades (120 Myr) and Praesepe (670 Myr) can be filled by the inclusion of seven previously unappreciated clusters that now have enhanced membership information from Gaia, and for which we have recently completed measurements of rotation from TESS and ZTF facilities. However, our list of seven clusters have isochrone-based ages that are not well known (100-500 Myr). We propose to pin down the age of each by measuring the metallicity and interstellar reddening using spectroscopic data acquired for five solar twin members of each with GRACES. This will allow us to refine the isochrone analyses of their color-magnitude diagrams and enable them to serve as the benchmarks we need.