UBVRI IMAGING PHOTOMETRY OF THE OPEN CLUSTER CR-272

We present an extensive CCD UBVRI (Cousins system) photometric survey in the region of the open cluster Collinder 272. Our data analysis con firms that the cluster is situated in the outer border of Becker's inn er arm -II, at a distance d = 2300 pc and probably related to the neig hbor cluster Hogg 16. There is no highly evolved stars in the cluster upper sequence and our age estimate based upon isochrones from models computed with mass loss and overshooting, and other methods, indicates a mean age of 13 Myr. A statistical method based on the removal of fi eld stars was used to determine the luminosity function and the initia l mass function of the cluster. The cluster initial mass function is c haracterized by a slope x=1.8.