Extinction law in the Cep OB3b young cluster

The extinction is measured toward 76 background K giants identified with MMT/Hectospec spectra. Color excess ratios were determined toward each of the giants using V and R photometry from the literature, g, r, i, and z photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and J, H, and K_s_ photometry from the Two Micron All Sky Survey.

These color excess ratios were then used to construct the extinction law through the dusty material associated with Cep OB3b. The extinction law through Cep OB3b is intermediate between the R_V_=3.1 and R_V_=5 laws commonly used for the diffuse atomic interstellar medium and dense molecular clouds, respectively. The dependence of the extinction law on line-of-sight A_V_ is investigated and we find the extinction law becomes shallower for regions with A_V_>2.5 mag.