3D Kinematics and age of OCs

We investigated their distributions as a function of age, and by comparison to field stars. We provide the largest RV catalogue available for OCs, half of it based on at least 3 members. Compared to field stars, we note that OCs are not exactly on the same arches in the radial-azimuthal velocity plane, while they seem to follow the same diagonal ridges in the Galactic radial distribution of azimuthal velocities.

Velocity ellipsoids in different age bins all show a clear anisotropy. The heating rate of the OC population is similar to that of field stars for the radial and azimuthal components but significantly lower for the vertical component. The rotation curve drawn by our sample of clusters shows several dips, which match the wiggles derived from non-axisymmetric models of the Galaxy.

From the computation of orbits, we obtain a clear dependence of the maximum height and eccentricity with age. Finally, the orbital characteristics of the sample of clusters as shown by the action variables, follow the distribution of field stars. The additional age information of the clusters points towards some (weak) age dependence of the known moving groups.