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J.A. Smith, P.M. McGehee (LANL), D.L. Tucker (Fermilab), T. Beers (MSU), C.M. Rockosi (UCSC/UCO), B. Yanny, S.S. Allam, C. Stoughton, E.H. Neilsen, Jr. (Fermilab), C.J. Rider (JHU), D.C. Moore (Yale), C.T. Rodgers, K.A. Cantrell (Wyoming), G. Knapp (Princeton), SDSS Collaboration
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is preparing to expand in a three year extension. This addition to the original survey continues the large scale structure project (the original SDSS) and includes two new research areas --- a supernova search (SNAP/LSST/Pan-STARRS precursor) and a galactic structure study (SEGUE). One of the areas of emphasis of the SEGUE portion of the SDSS-II centers on a wide survey of stellar clusters, primarily open, which will be used for science and calibration purposes.
We describe the plans for the cluster study to be undertaken in the SDSS-II. This will include an initial list of science clusters including a few very young open clusters (star forming regions) and a list of well-characterized clusters to be used in the calibration effort. We present some initial open cluster data, collected with several telescopes, using the u'g'r'i'z' filter system. We compare our observations to the theoretical (Girardi et~al. 2004) isochrones. Our results illustrate the robustness of this photomeric system and the scientific potential of this project for the future SDSS-II. To augment the cluster work, particularly metallicity determinations, we are also observing a list of ~400 field stars with available high resolution determinations of [Fe/H].
Funding for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Japanese Monbukagakusho, and the Max Planck Society.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.