We present optical and infrared photometric and spectroscopic studies of two
Be stars in the 70--80-Myr-old open cluster NGC 6834. NGC 6834(1) has been
reported as a binary from speckle interferometric studies whereas NGC 6834(2)
may possibly be a gamma Cas-like variable. Infrared photometry and spectroscopy
from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), and optical data from
various facilities are combined with archival data to understand the nature of
these candidates. High signal-to-noise near-IR spectra obtained from UKIRT have
enabled us to study the optical depth effects in the hydrogen emission lines of
these stars. We have explored the spectral classification scheme based on the
intensity of emission lines in the H and K bands and contrasted it with the
conventional classification based on the intensity of hydrogen and helium
absorption lines. This work also presents hitherto unavailable UBV CCD
photometry of NGC 6834, from which the evolutionary state of the Be stars is
identified.Comment: Published in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, RAA 14 (2014)
1173-1192, 20 pages, 10 figure
