Fundamental Parameters of 4 Massive Eclipsing Binaries in Westerlund 1

Westerlund 1 is one of the most massive young clusters known in the Local Group, with an age of 3-5 Myr. It contains an assortment of rare evolved massive stars, such as blue, yellow and red supergiants, Wolf-Rayet stars, a luminous blue variable, and a magnetar, as well as 4 massive eclipsing binary systems (Wddeb, Wd13, Wd36, WR77o, see Bonanos 2007). The eclipsing binaries present a rare opportunity to constrain evolutionary models of massive stars, the distance to the cluster and furthermore, to determine a dynamical lower limit for the mass of a magnetar progenitor. Wddeb, being a detached system, is of great interest as it allows determination of the masses of 2 of the most massive unevolved stars in the cluster. We have analyzed spectra of all 4 eclipsing binaries, taken in 2007-2008 with the 6.5 meter Magellan telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, and present fundamental parameters (masses, radii) for their component stars.Comment: 2 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the IAUS 272 on "Active OB stars: structure, evolution, mass loss and critical limits" (Paris, July 19-23, 2010), Cambridge University Press. Editors C. Neiner, G. Wade, G. Meynet and G. Peter

The open cluster Pismis 11 and the very luminous blue supergiant HD 80077

(Abridged) The very luminous blue supergiant HD 80077 has been claimed to be a member of the young open cluster Pismis 11, and hence a hypergiant. We obtained UBVRI photometry of the cluster field and low-resolution spectroscopy of a number of putative members. We derive spectral types from the spectra and determine that the reddening in this direction is standard. We then carry out a careful photometric analysis that allows us to determine individual reddening values, deriving unreddened parameters that are used for the main sequence fit. We identify 43 likely members of Pismis 11. We study the variation of extinction across the face of the cluster and find some dispersion, with a trend to higher values in the immediate neighbourhood of HD 80077. We estimate a distance of 3.6 kpc for the cluster. If HD 80077 is a member, it has M_bol<-10.5 and it is one of the three visually brightest stars in the Galaxy. Several early type stars in the vicinity of Pismis~11 fit well the cluster sequence and are likely to represent an extended population at the same distance. About 18 arcmin to the North of Pismis 11, we find a small concentration of stars, which form a clear sequence. We identify this group as a previously uncatalogued open cluster, which we provisionally call Alicante 5. The distance to Alicante 5 is also 3.6 kpc, suggesting that these two clusters and neighbouring early-type stars form a small association. Based on its proper motion, HD 80077 is not a runaway star and may be a member of the cluster. If this is the case, it would be one of the brightest stars in the Galaxy.Comment: 25 pages. It contains many figures and tables. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Open clusters in AurOB2

We study the area around the HII region Sh 2-234, including the young open cluster Stock 8, to investigate the extent and definition of the association Aur OB2 and the possible role of triggering in massive cluster formation. We obtained Str\"omgren and J,H,Ks photometry for Stock 8 and Str\"omgren photometry for two other cluster candidates in the area, which we confirm as young open clusters and name Alicante 11 and Alicante 12. We took spectroscopy of 33 early-type stars in the area, including the brightest cluster members. We calculate a common distance of $2.80^{+0.27}_{-0.24}$ kpc for the three open clusters and surrounding association. We derive an age 4-6 Ma for Stock 8, and do not find a significantly different age for the other clusters or the association. The star LSV +34 23, with spectral type O8 II(f), is likely the main source of ionization of Sh 2-234. We observe an important population of pre-main sequence stars, some of them with disks, associated with the B-type members lying on the main-sequence. We interpret the region as an area of recent star formation with some residual and very localized ongoing star formation. We do not find evidence for sequential star formation on a large scale. The classical definition of Aur OB2 has to be reconsidered, because its two main open clusters, Stock 8 and NGC 1893, are not at the same distance. Stock 8 is probably located in the Perseus arm, but other nearby HII regions whose distances also place them in this arm show quite different distances and radial velocities and, therefore, are not connected.Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures Accepted for publication in MNRA