Photometric study of five open star clusters

UBVRI photometry of the five open clusters Czernik 4, Berkeley 7, NGC 2236, NGC 7226 and King 12 has been carried out using ARIES 104 cm telescope, Nainital. Fundamental cluster parameters such as foreground reddening E(B - V), distance, and age have been derived by means of the observed two colour and colour-magnitude diagrams, coupled to comparisons with theoretical models. E(B - V) values range from 0.55 to 0.74 mag, while ages derived for these clusters range from similar to 10 to similar to 500 Myr. We have also studied the spatial structure, mass function and mass segregation effects. The present study shows that evaporation of low mass stars from the halo of the clusters increases as they evolve. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.