Red Giant Clump in the Tycho-2 Catalogue
  The Tycho-2 proper motions and Tycho-2 and 2MASS photometry are used to
select 97348 red giant clump (RGC) stars. The interstellar extinction and
photometric distance are calculated for each of the stars. The selected stars
are shown to form a selection-unbiased sample of RGC stars within about 350 pc
of the Sun with the addition of more distant stars. The distribution of the
selected stars in space and their motion are consistent with the assumption
that the RGC contains Galactic disk stars with various ages and metallicities,
including a significant fraction of stars younger than 1 Gyr with masses of
more than 2 $M_{\odot}$. These young stars show differences of their
statistical characteristics from those of older RGC stars, including
differences in the variations of their distribution density with distance from
the Galactic plane and in the dispersion of their velocities found using radial
velocities and proper motions. The Sun has been found to rise above the
Galactic plane by $13\pm1$ pc. The distribution density of the stars under
consideration in space is probably determined by the Local Spiral Arm and the
distribution of absorbing matter in the plane of the Gould Belt.
