  Despite progress in the theoretical knowledge of open cluster remnants and
the growing search for observational identifications in recent years, open
questions still remain. The methods used to analyze open cluster remnants and
criteria to define them as physical systems are not homogeneous. In this work
we present a systematic method for studying these objects that provides a view
of their properties and allows their characterization. Eighteen remnant
candidates are analyzed by means of photometric and proper motion data. These
data provide information on objects and their fields. We establish criteria for
characterizing open cluster remnants, taking observational uncertainties into
account. 2MASS J and H photometry is employed (i) to study structural
properties of the objects by means of radial stellar density profiles, (ii) to
test for any similarity between objects and fields with a statistical
comparison method applied to the distributions of stars in the CMDs, and (iii)
to obtain ages, reddening values, and distances from the CMD, taking an index
of isochrone fit into account. The UCAC2 proper motions allowed an objective
comparison between objects and large solid angle offset fields. The objective
analysis based on the present methods indicates 13 open-cluster remnants in the
sample. Evidence of the presence of binary stars is found, as expected for
dynamically evolved systems. Finally, we infer possible evolutionary stages
among remnants from the structure, proper motion, and CMD distributions. The
low stellar statistics for individual objects is overcome by means of the
construction of composite proper motion and CMD diagrams. The distributions of
remnants in the composite diagrams resemble the single-star and unresolved
binary star distributions of open clusters.
