Cygnus OB2 DANCe: Proper motion study

These were calculated from images spanning a 15-year baseline and have typical precisions <1mas/yr. We calculate the velocity dispersion in the two axes to be 13.0^+0.8^_-0.7_ and 9.1^+0.5^_-0.5_km/s, using a 2-component, 2-dimensional model that takes into account the uncertainties on the measurements.

This gives a 3-dimensional velocity dispersion of 17.8+/-0.6km/s implying a virial mass significantly larger than the observed stellar mass, confirming that the association is gravitationally unbound. The association appears to be dynamically unevolved, as evidenced by considerable kinematic substructure, non-isotropic velocity dispersions and a lack of energy equipartition. The proper motions show no evidence for a global expansion pattern, with approximately the same amount of kinetic energy in expansion as there is in contraction, which argues against the association being an expanded star cluster disrupted by process such as residual gas expulsion or tidal heating.