Tidal Tails of Nearby Open Clusters. II

Based on the simulations, we analysed the complex morphology of the tails and their properties (e.g., size, span, stellar types, number density, and mass function) at various cluster masses and ages. During the first 200Myr of evolution, the tails typically form a characteristic S shape, with an amplitude that scales with cluster mass. The tail span increases at a rate of 4 times the initial velocity dispersion, and the near- tail is predominantly populated by recent escapees.

In the 122 published tail catalogues, we found that 15 gold and 55 silver catalogues passed the majority of the tests. The remaining 51 were graded as bronze; care should be taken before using these for further analysis. The age, metallicity, binary fraction, and mass function of stars in the tails were generally consistent with those of their parent clusters.

The gold/silver catalogues (69 catalogues of 40 clusters) represent reliable samples for detailed analyses of tails. Future data will be essential for further validation and for leveraging tidal tails as tracers of cluster dissolution and the Galactic potential.