scholarly journals Period-Age-Metallicity and Period-Age-Color-Metallicity relations for Classical Cepheids: an application to the Gaia EDR3 sample

Author(s):  
Giulia De Somma ◽  
Marcella Marconi ◽  
Santi Cassisi ◽  
Vincenzo Ripepi ◽  
Adriano Pietrinferni ◽  
...  

Abstract Based on updated pulsation models for Classical Cepheids, computed for various assumptions about the metallicity and helium abundance, roughly representative of pulsators in the Small Magellanic Cloud (Z=0.004 and Y=0.25), Large Magellanic Cloud (Z=0.008 and Y=0.25), and M31 (Z=0.03 and Y=0.28), and self-consistent updated evolutionary predictions, we derived Period-Age and multi-band Period-Age-Color relations that also take into account variations in the Mass-Luminosity relation. These results, combined with those previously derived for Galactic Cepheids, were used to investigate the metallicity effect when using these variables as age indicators. In particular, we found that a variation in the metal abundance affects both the slope and the zero point of the above-mentioned relations. The new relations were applied to a sample of Gaia Early Data Release 3 Classical Cepheids. The retrieved distribution of the individual ages confirms that a brighter Mass-Luminosity relation produces older ages and that First Overtone pulsators are found to be concentrated towards older ages with respect to the Fundamental ones at a fixed Mass-Luminosity relation. Moreover, the inclusion of a metallicity term in the Period-Age and Period-Age-Color relations slightly modifies the predicted ages. In particular, the age distribution of the selected sample of Galactic Cepheids is found to be shifted towards slightly older values, when the F-mode canonical relations are considered, with respect to the case at a fixed solar chemical composition. A marginally opposite dependence can be found in the noncanonical F-mode and canonical FO-mode cases.

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A230
Author(s):  
V. Ripepi ◽  
G. Catanzaro ◽  
R. Molinaro ◽  
M. Marconi ◽  
G. Clementini ◽  
...  

Context. Classical Cepheids (DCEPs) are the most important primary indicators for the extragalactic distance scale. Establishing the dependence on metallicity of their period–luminosity and period–Wesenheit (PL and PW) relations has deep consequences for the estimate of the Hubble constant (H0). Aims. We investigate the dependence on metal abundance ([Fe/H]) of the PL and PW relations for Galactic DCEPs. Methods. We combined proprietary and literature photometric and spectroscopic data, gathering a total sample of 413 Galactic DCEPs (372 fundamental mode, DCEP_F, and 41 first-overtone, DCEP_1O) and constructed new metallicity-dependent PL and PW relations in the near-infrared adopting the astrometry-based luminosity. Results. We find indications that the slopes of the PL(KS) and PW(J, KS) relations for Galactic DCEPs might depend on metallicity on the basis of the comparison with the Large Magellanic Cloud relationships. Therefore we used a generalized form of the PL and PW relations to simultaneously take the metallicity dependence of the slope and intercept of these relations into account. Conclusions. We calculated PL and PW relations that for the first time explicitly include a metallicity dependence of the slope and intercept terms. The quality of the available data is insufficient, however, and we cannot yet present conclusive results, but they are relevant from a methodological point of view. The new relations are linked to the geometric measurement of the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud and allowed us to estimate a Gaia DR2 parallax zero-point offset Δϖ = 0.0615 ± 0.004 mas from the dataset of DCEPs used in this work.


2004 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 363-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward F. Guinan ◽  
Ignasi Ribas ◽  
Edward L. Fitzpatrick

AbstractWe report on the progress of the program to study eclipsing binaries (EBs) in the Local Group galaxies. The primary goals of the program are to determine accurate distances and physical properties of the stars, and to probe the structure and evolution of the host galaxies. In particular, the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is critically important because this nearby galaxy is used to calibrate most of the important cosmic distance indicators such as Cepheid and RR Lyr variables. Over the last several years, we have demonstrated that the distance of the LMC can be reliably measured using selected eclipsing binaries. The combined analyses of the UV/optical spectrophotometry, radial velocities, and light curves yield the stars’ physical properties (mass, radius, Teff, luminosity, metal abundance) and accurate (2–3%) distances. So far, the physical properties and distances of four LMC EBs have been completed and give a distance to the centroid of the LMC of 48.3 ± 1.6 kpc. Several additional EBs in the LMC and the Small Magellanic Cloud have been observed and are being analyzed. Also several LMC EBs have been observed with FUSE (92 – 119 nm) to further refine values of Teff and interstellar absorption. As an extension of these studies, 19–20th mag EBs in M31 are being observed photometrically and spectroscopically. The results of this extragalactic EB program are discussed along with plans to use EBs to study the host galaxy structure.


2000 ◽  
Vol 176 ◽  
pp. 172-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Clementini ◽  
A. Bragaglia ◽  
L. Di Fabrizio ◽  
E. Carretta ◽  
R. G. Gratton

AbstractThe Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is widely considered a corner-stone of the astronomical distance scale. However, a difference of 0.2−0.3 mag exists in its distance as predicted by the short and long distance scales. Distances to the LMC from Population II objects are founded on the RR Lyrae variables. We have undertaken an observational campaign devoted to the definition of the average apparent luminosity, and to the study of the mass–metallicity relation for RR Lyrae stars in the bar of the LMC. These are compared with analogous quantities for cluster RR Lyrae stars. The purpose is to see whether an intrinsic difference in luminosity, possibly due to a difference in mass, might exist between field and cluster RR Lyrae stars, which could be responsible for the well-known dichotomy between short and long distance scales. Preliminary results are presented on the V and B − V light curves, the average apparent visual magnitude, and the pulsational properties of 102 RR Lyrae stars in the bar of the LMC, observed at ESO in January 1999. The photometric data are accurately tied to the Johnson photometric system. Comparison is presented with the photometry of RR Lyrae stars in the bar of the LMC obtained by the MACHO collaboration (Alcock et al. 1996). Our sample includes 9 double-mode RR Lyrae stars selected from Alcock et al. (1997) for which an estimate of the metal abundance from the ΔS method is presented.


1988 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. 559-562
Author(s):  
Edward L. Fitzpatrick

Digital spectra of 7 B-type supergiants in the Milky Way and 15 B-type supergiants in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) were obtained in December 1986 using the “2-D Frutti” detector (2-DF) and the Carnegie Image Tube Spectrograph on the 1-m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The 2-DF is a photon counting, 2-dimensional Shechtman-type detector, now available on both the 1-m and 4-m telescopes at CTIO. The detector/spectrograph configuration used for the December observing run yielded spectra covering the classical blue region, 3800-5000 Å, with a resolution of approximately 3 Å. The typical observing procedure was to obtain spectra for each star at several locations along the slit. The individual spectra were then averaged (to reduce the detector fixed pattern noise) resulting in S/N ratios of 50-60 in the 4300 Å region.


Galaxies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Crowther

A review of the properties of the Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus) in the Large Magellanic Cloud is presented, primarily from the perspective of its massive star content. The proximity of the Tarantula and its accessibility to X-ray through radio observations permit it to serve as a Rosetta Stone amongst extragalactic supergiant HII regions since one can consider both its integrated characteristics and the individual properties of individual massive stars. Recent surveys of its high mass stellar content, notably the VLT FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS), are reviewed, together with VLT/MUSE observations of the central ionizing region NGC 2070 and HST/STIS spectroscopy of the young dense cluster R136, provide a near complete Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of the region, and cumulative ionizing output. Several high mass binaries are highlighted, some of which have been identified from a recent X-ray survey. Brief comparisons with the stellar content of giant HII regions in the Milky Way (NGC 3372) and Small Magellanic Cloud (NGC 346) are also made, together with Green Pea galaxies and star forming knots in high-z galaxies. Finally, the prospect of studying massive stars in metal poor galaxies is evaluated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A12 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
A. Helmi ◽  
F. van Leeuwen ◽  
P. J. McMillan ◽  
D. Massari ◽  
...  

Context. Aims. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the outstanding quality of the second data release of the Gaia mission and its power for constraining many different aspects of the dynamics of the satellites of the Milky Way. We focus here on determining the proper motions of 75 Galactic globular clusters, nine dwarf spheroidal galaxies, one ultra-faint system, and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Methods. Using data extracted from the Gaia archive, we derived the proper motions and parallaxes for these systems, as well as their uncertainties. We demonstrate that the errors, statistical and systematic, are relatively well understood. We integrated the orbits of these objects in three different Galactic potentials, and characterised their properties. We present the derived proper motions, space velocities, and characteristic orbital parameters in various tables to facilitate their use by the astronomical community. Results. Our limited and straightforward analyses have allowed us for example to (i) determine absolute and very precise proper motions for globular clusters; (ii) detect clear rotation signatures in the proper motions of at least five globular clusters; (iii) show that the satellites of the Milky Way are all on high-inclination orbits, but that they do not share a single plane of motion; (iv) derive a lower limit for the mass of the Milky Way of 9.1-2.6+6.2 × 1011 M⊙ based on the assumption that the Leo I dwarf spheroidal is bound; (v) derive a rotation curve for the Large Magellanic Cloud based solely on proper motions that is competitive with line-of-sight velocity curves, now using many orders of magnitude more sources; and (vi) unveil the dynamical effect of the bar on the motions of stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Conclusions. All these results highlight the incredible power of the Gaia astrometric mission, and in particular of its second data release.


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