Radial velocities in open clusters

These data confirm the membership of 47 stars, 12 of which (26% ) are spectroscopic binaries; three preliminary orbits have been determined in NGC 3960. From Washington photometry of 8 red giant members, the metallicity of NGC 6259 is found to be [Fe/H]=0.06+/-0.08.

At the age of these clusters, most of the red giants are observed in the core-helium (clump) burning phase, the general morphology of which is well reproduced by theoretical models with convective overshooting. However, a number of bona fide cluster giant members are found significantly to the red of the isochrones fitting the rest of the CMD of these and a few other clusters. Some of these stars are binaries, but others seem to be single.