Derived Parameters for NGC 6791 from High-Metallicity Isochrones

Abstract

We have computed 8, 10, and 12 Gyr isochrones and physically consistent models of zero-age red horizontal branch stars for stellar masses between 0.55 and 1.3~\msun, all at [Fe/H] $=+0.15$. Comparison to the NGC 6791 BVI photometry of Kałużny & Udalski (1992) and Montgomery, Janes & Phelps (1994) yields an age of $10.0\pm 0.5$ Gyr at an apparent distance modulus $ 13.49 < \dmv < 13.70$. The color offsets required to fit the isochrones, combined with the spectroscopic results of Friel & Janes, imply that the foreground reddening to NGC 6791 lies in the range $0.24 > \ebv >0.19$ with $+0.27<$ [Fe/H] $<+0.44$. The zero-age horizontal branch models suggest that the red horizontal branch stars of NGC 6791 have masses $\lesssim 0.7\msun$. The masses are similar to those found for M67 red clump stars by Tripicco, Dorman & Bell (1993) and for globular cluster red horizontal branch stars, despite higher and lower masses (respectively) in those cases. This suggests the presence of a mechanism that tends to reduce stellar envelopes on the zero-age horizontal branch {\it to} a given mass rather than {\it by} a given amount.

23 pages, postscript file

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