The absolute magnitudes of LMC RR Lyrae variables and the ages of Galactic globular clusters

1992 ◽  
Vol 390 ◽  
pp. L81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair R. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Galactic Globular Clusters ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes

scholarly journals The Absolute Magnitudes of RR Lyrae Stars and the Age of the Galaxy

1989 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Allan Sandage
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Apparent Magnitude ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes

AbstractIt is shown that the intrinsic spread in the absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyrae variables in a given globular cluster can reach 0.5 magnitudes at a given period or at a given color, due to luminosity evolution away from the zero age horizontal (ZAHB). The size of this intrinsic luminosity spread is largest in clusters of the highest metallicity.The absolute magnitude of the ZAHB itself also differs from cluster to cluster as a function of metallicity, being brightest in clusters of the lowest metallicity. Three independent methods of calibrating the ZAHB RR Lyrae luminosities each show a strong variation of MV(RR) with [Fe/H]. The pulsation equation of P<ρ>0.5 = Q(M,Te, L) used with the observed periods, temperatures, and masses of field and of cluster RR Lyraes gives the very steep luminosity-metallicity dependence of dMv(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.42. Main sequence fitting of the color-magnitude diagrams of clusters which have modern main-sequence photometry gives a confirming steep slope of 0.39. A summary of Baade-Wesselink MV(RR) values for field stars determined in four independent recent studies also shows a luminosity-metallicity dependence, but less steep with a slope of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.21.Observations show that the magnitude difference between the main sequence turn-off point and the ZAHB in a number of well observed globular clusters is independent of [Fe/H], and has a stable value of dV = 3.54 with a disperion of only 0.1 magnitudes. Using this fact, the absolute magnitude of the main sequence turn-off is determined in any given globular cluster from the observed apparent magnitude of the ZAHB by adopting any particular MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibration.Ages of the clusters are shown to vary with [Fe/H] by amounts that depend upon the slopes of the MV(RR) = f([Fe/H]) calibrations. The calibrations show that there would be a steep dependence of the age on [Fe/H] if MV(RR) does not depend on [Fe/H]. No dependence of age on metallicity exists if the RR Lyrae luminosities depend on [Fe/H] as dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37. If Oxygen is not enhanced as [Fe/H] decreases, the absolute average age of the globular cluster system is 16 Gyr, independent of [Fe/H], using the steep MV(RR)/[Fe/H] calibration that is favored. If Oxygen is enhanced by [O/Fe] = – 0.14 [Fe/H] + 0.40 for [Fe/H] < –1.0, as suggested from the observations of field subdwarfs, then the age of the globular cluster system decreases to 13 Gyr, again independent of [Fe/H], if the RR Lyrae ZAHB luminosities have a metallicity dependence of dMV(RR)/d[Fe/H] = 0.37.

scholarly journals New Pulsational Constraints to the Distance of Globular Clusters and the MV(RR)–[Fe/H] Relation

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 ◽  
pp. 263-263
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Ripepi ◽  
Filippina Caputo ◽  
Vittorio Castellani ◽  
Marcella Marconi
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Apparent Distance ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Instability Strip ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Visual Magnitude ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Galactic Globular Clusters

AbstractWe applied the pulsational method (Caputo 1997) to derive the distances to a sample of galactic globular clusters with well-observed RR Lyrae populations. To apply the method we calculated a set of pulsational theoretical boundaries of the instability strip for the range of masses and chemical compositions spanned by the analysed clusters. In this way we were able to fix simultaneously the apparent distance modulus and the absolute visual magnitude of the RR Lyrae population of each cluster in the sample. As a result we derived the following relations:

scholarly journals Turnoffs and Ages of Globular Clusters

1988 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 635-636
Author(s):  
F. Buonanno ◽  
C. E. Corsi ◽  
F. Fusi Pecci
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Horizontal Branch ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes ◽  
Lyrae Stars ◽  
The Way

The way to arrive at (even relative) ages for globular clusters involves the determination of their (relative) distances. We would like to see a theory which would fit the absolute magnitudes of RR Lyrae stars as determined from observations (Sandage effect). We have examined a sample of 17 CM diagrams of galactic globular clusters, 11 of which were observed at ESO and reduced with the program, ROMAFOT and 6 of which were taken from the literature. In Fig. 1 the difference in bolometric magnitude between the turnoff point and the location of the zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB), δV RRTO (bo1) is plotted versus [Fe/H]. It turns out that δV RRTO ≃ δ RRTO (bo1) + 0.1 = 3.56 ±0.15. We are faced with the problem of determining how the horizontal branch scales with metallicity in order to understand the constant value of 3.56 in this relation.

scholarly journals The Luminosities of Horizontal Branches and RR Lyrae Stars in Globular Clusters

2004 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 525-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.H. McNamara ◽  
M.B. Rose ◽  
P.J. Brown ◽  
D.I. Ketcheson ◽  
J.E. Maxwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Apparent Magnitude ◽  
Rr Lyrae Stars ◽  
Blue Stragglers ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes ◽  
Lyrae Stars

AbstractWe have utilized the latest stellar models of the Y2 (Yonsei-Yale) collaborators and color-magnitude diagrams of globular clusters to infer ages and absolute magnitudes of their horizontal branches (HB). The intrinsic (B – V) color indices of the turn-offs, of the globular clusters were used to find ages. For 47 clusters that appear to be coeval (within ±0.7 Gyr), we find an average age of 12.5 Gyr. We adopt this age and infer the absolute magnitudes of the turn-offs, from the clusters [Fe/H] values. The absolute magnitude of the horizontal branches or RR Lyrae stars are then determined from the difference between the apparent magnitudes of the horizontal branches (or RR Lyrae stars) and the apparent magnitude of the turn-offs, VTO. We conclude: 1) The slope of the MV(HB), [Fe/H] relation is ~0.3 for clusters with [Fe/H] values between —0.5 to —1.5. The relation has zero slope for [Fe/H] values smaller than −1.5. 2) For [Fe/H] < -1.3, the MV(HB) or MV values of RRLyrae stars are not only a function of [Fe/H], but the horizontal-branch type in the sense that the clusters with the blue horizontal branches have more luminous horizontal branches than clusters with red horizontal branches. The same results are found by inferring the luminosities of the HBs from pulsating blue stragglers.

scholarly journals The Period-Luminosity Relation for Cepheids in Globular Clusters

1973 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 180-184
Author(s):  
B. V. Kukarkin ◽  
A. S. Rastorgouev
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Apparent Distance ◽  
Absolute Magnitude ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Method Of Determination ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Absolute Magnitudes

The period-luminosity relation for Cepheids in globular clusters has been investigated many times (e.g. Fernie, 1964; Kwee, 1968; Frolov, 1970; Demers, 1971).The method of determination of the apparent distance moduli was recently revised by Kukarkin and Russev (1972). Instead of using a single absolute magnitude for RR Lyrae variables, the magnitudes according to pulsation theory (Christy, 1966, 1971) were adopted. The inhomogeneity of the absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyrae variables had already been established long ago (Pavlovskaya, 1953), but it attracted attention only recently. The different methods for determining the distance moduli of globular clusters were calibrated according to the new absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyrae variables. The problem consisted in the determination of the absolute magnitudes of the Cepheids in globular clusters according to the apparent distance moduli.

scholarly journals RR Lyrae variables in Galactic globular clusters

2005 ◽  
Vol 437 (3) ◽  
pp. 1017-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Castellani ◽  
V. Castellani ◽  
S. Cassisi
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Galactic Globular Clusters

scholarly journals Pulsating Stars and the Distance Scale - II

1995 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 209-220
Author(s):  
Michael Feast
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Zero Point ◽  
Distance Scale ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Distance Modulus ◽  
Pulsating Stars ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Galactic Globular Clusters

AbstractThe current Cepheid zero-point is equivalent to an LMC distance modulus of 18.57 ± 0.10. The zero-point from corrected Baade-Wesselink data is probably not significantly different from this. A reexamination of the Baade-Wesselink data for RR Lyrae variables leads to an LMC modulus of 18.51, an age difference between β- and α-group galactic globular clusters of +1.46±0.70 Gyr, and an Mv - [Fe/H] slope in agreement with theory. Other questions discussed include; Avoiding bias in using the Cepheid PL relation; Metallicity spread amongst Cepheids; Cepheids and Ho.

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