Topological-geometrical incursion into the internal structure of the Pleiades open cluster and its relationship with some astrophysical parameters
F. Marco, M.J. Martínez, J.A. Lopez · El Servicio de Difusión de la Creación Intelectual (National University of La Plata) · 2025
The release of successive versions of the Gaia data [1] has inspired numerous studies on the Pleiades, with objectives ranging from identifying new stars to exploring cluster dynamics. Our research, however, adopts a distinct approach. We identify a subset of data by imposing geometric constraints on the M45 file obtained from the Gaia website. Specifically, we focus on the 2MASS stars within the file and utilize the stellar distances provided in EDR3, applying criteria that emphasize high spatial density and minimal distances between stars. With this denser core established, we analyze the three-dimensional point cloud using Topological Data Analysis (TDA) techniques. We investigate its topological and geometrical structure through two TDA methods [2, 3] that yield different insights. To enhance our understanding of these discrepancies provided by both methods, we introduce a dual approach over a point network that reveals null densities, which will aid in discussing the identification of loops and voids, after having obtained compatible results between the introduced dual method and the alphashape method. Additionally, we identify connected components and subsequently relate the astrophysical properties of these stars within each connected component to the topological and geometrical findings we have derived. Our smaller dataset may later be expanded to include stars from DR2, excluding those from 2MASS