SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION OF PHOTOMETRIC SUBGIANTS IN OPEN CLUSTERS

Color-magnitude diagrams of several intermediate-age open clusters con tain apparent post-main-sequence stars which are fainter than predicte d by standard evolutionary tracks. We have obtained classification spe ctra for such stars in eight clusters. Some of these are reddened back ground early-type stars, and several of the late-type stars turn out t o have luminosities indicative of being foreground to the cluster. A f ew stars appear to be cluster members but do not fit the theoretical t racks. We find that the Bahcall-Soneira Galaxy model, modified for low galactic latitudes, can give statistically useful predictions of the numbers of field stars. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.