uvbybeta photometry of early type open cluster and field stars

The beta Cephei stars and slowly pulsating B (SPB) stars are massive main sequence variables. The strength of their pulsational driving strongly depends on the opacity of iron-group elements. As many of those stars naturally occur in young open clusters, whose metallicities can be determined in several fundamental ways, it is logical to study the incidence of pulsation in several young open clusters. To provide the foundation for such an investigation, Strömgren-Crawford uvbybeta photometry of open cluster target stars was carried out to determine effective temperatures, luminosities, and therefore cluster memberships. In the course of three observing runs, uvbybeta photometry for 168 target stars was acquired and transformed into the standard system by measurements of 117 standard stars. The list of target stars also included some known cluster and field beta Cephei stars, as well as beta Cephei and SPB candidates that are targets of the asteroseismic part of the Kepler satellite mission. The uvbybeta photometric results are presented. The data are shown to be on the standard system, and the properties of the target stars are discussed: 140 of these are indeed OB stars, a total of 101 targets lie within the beta Cephei and/or SPB star instability strips, and each investigated cluster contains such potential pulsators. These measurements will be taken advantage of in a number of subsequent publications.