ABUNDANCE ANALYSIS AND ORIGIN OF THE ZETA-SCULPTORIS OPEN CLUSTER

We have determined chemical abundances and radial velocities for stars in the field of the zeta Sculptoris cluster. We find that the cluster metal deficiency previously found from UBV photometry is not supporte d; the cluster overall metallicity, [Fe/H] = +0.23, is about 70% highe r than the solar value. The chemical abundance pattern appears unusual : the Ni/Fe ratio is lower than typical for field stars with similar F e and Ca abundances, and the cluster may also be deficient in the alph a element Si. For its age, the cluster is unusually far from the galac tic disk, approximate to 240 pc. The adopted heliocentric cluster radi al velocity, +3.9 km s(-1), shows that it is close to its maximum dist ance from the galactic plane. We suggest that the zeta Sculptoris clus ter was formed in the galactic disk 45 Myr ago by the interaction of a high velocity cloud with the interstellar medium, and that its format ion may be connected with that of Gould's Belt.