We report here CCD I-band time series photometry of a young (2-5Myr) cluster NGC 2282, in order to identify and understand the variability of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars. The I-band photometry, down to ~20.5mag, enables us to probe the variability towards the lower mass end (~0.1M_{sun}_) of PMS stars. From the light curves of 1627 stars, we identified 62 new photometric variable candidates. Their association with the region was established from H{alpha} emission and infrared (IR) excess. Among 62 variables, 30 young variables exhibit H{alpha} emission, near-IR (NIR)/mid-IR (MIR) excess or both and are candidate members of the cluster. Out of 62 variables, 41 are periodic variables, with a rotation rate ranging from 0.2-7d. The period distribution exhibits a median period at ~1d, as in many young clusters (e.g. NGC 2264, ONC, etc.), but it follows a unimodal distribution, unlike others that have bimodality, with slow rotators peaking at ~6-8d. To investigate the rotation-disc and variability-disc connection, we derived the NIR excess from {Delta}(I-K) and the MIR excess from Spitzer [3.6]-[4.5]um data. No conclusive evidence of slow rotation with the presence of discs around stars and fast rotation for discless stars is obtained from our periodic variables. A clear increasing trend of the variability amplitude with IR excess is found for all variables.

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/476/2813/table2 (Catalogue of the identified variable stars)