Abstract
We present a new and independent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant based on a calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) applied to Type Ia supernovae ...(SNe Ia). We find a value of
H
0
= 69.8 ± 0.8 (±1.1% stat) ± 1.7 (±2.4% sys) km s
−1
Mpc
−1
. The TRGB method is both precise and accurate and is parallel to but independent of the Cepheid distance scale. Our value sits midway in the range defined by the current Hubble tension. It agrees at the 1.2
σ
level with that of the Planck Collaboration et al. estimate and at the 1.7
σ
level with the
Hubble Space Telescope
(
HST
)
SHoES
measurement of
H
0
based on the Cepheid distance scale. The TRGB distances have been measured using deep
HST
Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of galaxy halos. The zero-point of the TRGB calibration is set with a distance modulus to the Large Magellanic Cloud of 18.477 ± 0.004 (stat) ± 0.020 (sys) mag, based on measurement of 20 late-type detached eclipsing binary stars, combined with an
HST
parallax calibration of a 3.6
μ
m Cepheid Leavitt law based on
Spitzer
observations. We anchor the TRGB distances to galaxies that extend our measurement into the Hubble flow using the recently completed Carnegie Supernova Project I ( CSP-I ) sample containing about 100 well-observed SNe Ia . There are several advantages of halo TRGB distance measurements relative to Cepheid variables; these include low halo reddening, minimal effects of crowding or blending of the photometry, only a shallow (calibrated) sensitivity to metallicity in the
I
band, and no need for multiple epochs of observations or concerns of different slopes with period. In addition, the host masses of our TRGB host-galaxy sample are higher, on average, than those of the Cepheid sample, better matching the range of host-galaxy masses in the CSP-I distant sample and reducing potential systematic effects in the SNe Ia measurements.
This study is a part of the Cosmicflows-4 project with the aim of measuring the distances of more than ∼10,000 spiral galaxies in the local universe up to ∼15,000 km s − 1 . New H i line width ...information has come primarily from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA Survey. Photometry of our sample galaxies has been carried out in optical (SDSS u, g, r, i, and z) and infrared (WISE W1 and W2) bands. Inclinations have been determined using an online graphical interface accessible to a collaboration of citizen scientists. Galaxy distances are measured based on the correlation between the rotation rate of spirals and their absolute luminosity, known as the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR). In this study, we present the calibration of the TFR using a subsample of ∼600 spirals located in 20 galaxy clusters. Correlations among such observables as color, surface brightness, and relative H i content are explored in an attempt to reduce the scatter about the TFR with the goal of obtaining more accurate distances. A preliminary determination of the Hubble constant from the distances and velocities of the calibrator clusters is H0 = 76.0 1.1(stat.) 2.3(sys.) km s−1 Mpc−1.
Using a mid-infrared calibration of the Cepheid distance scale based on recent observations at 3.6 mu m with the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have obtained a new, high-accuracy calibration of the ...Hubble constant. In combination with the new Spitzer calibration, the systematic uncertainty in Hsub 0 over that obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project has decreased by over a factor of three. The result, in combination with WMAP7 measurements of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and assuming a flat universe, yields a value of the equation of state for dark energy, wsub 0 = -1.09 + or - 0.10. Alternatively, relaxing the constraints on flatness and the numbers of relativistic species, and combining our results with those of WMAP7, Type Ia supernovae and baryon acoustic oscillations yield wsub 0 = -1.08 + or - 0.10 and a value of Nsubeff = 4.13 + or - 0.67, mildly consistent with the existence of a fourth neutrino species.
ABSTRACT Using Spitzer observations of classical Cepheids we have measured the true average distance modulus of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) to be mag (corresponding to kpc), which is 0.48 0.01 ...mag more distant than the LMC. This is in agreement with previous results from Cepheid observations, as well as with measurements from other indicators such as RR Lyrae stars and the tip of the red giant branch. Utilizing the properties of the mid-infrared Leavitt Law we measured precise distances to individual Cepheids in the SMC, and have confirmed that the galaxy is tilted and elongated such that its eastern side is up to 20 kpc closer than its western side. This is in agreement with the results from red clump stars and dynamical simulations of the Magellanic Clouds and Stream.
Abstract
We present a systematic study of the diffuse ionized gas (DIG) in M83 and its effects on the measurement of metallicity gradients at varying resolution scales. Using spectrophotometric data ...cubes of M83 obtained at the 2.5m duPont telescope at Las Campanas Observatory as part of the TYPHOON programme, we separate the H ii regions from the DIG using the S ii/H α ratio, HIIphot (H ii-finding algorithm), and the H α surface brightness. We find that the contribution to the overall H α luminosity is approximately equal for the H ii and DIG regions. The data is then rebinned to simulate low-resolution observations at varying resolution scales from 41 pc up to 1005 pc. Metallicity gradients are measured using five different metallicity diagnostics at each resolution. We find that all metallicity diagnostics used are affected by the inclusion of DIG to varying degrees. We discuss the reasons why the metallicity gradients are significantly affected by DIG using the H ii dominance and emission line ratio radial profiles. We find that applying the S ii/H α cut will provide a closer estimate of the true metallicity gradient up to a resolution of 1005 pc for all metallicity diagnostics used in this study.
We present the distances of 9792 spiral galaxies lying within 15,000 km s−1 using the relation between luminosity and rotation rate of spiral galaxies. The sample is dominantly, but not exclusively, ...drawn from galaxies detected in the course of the ALFALFA H i survey with the Arecibo Telescope. Relations between H i line widths and luminosity are calibrated at SDSS u, g, r, i, z bands and WISE W1 and W2 bands. By exploiting secondary parameters, particularly color indices, we address discrepancies between measured distances at different wave bands with unprecedented detail. We provide a catalog that includes reduced kinematic, photometric, and inclination parameters. We also describe a machine-learning algorithm, based on the random forest technique, that predicts the dust attenuation in spirals lacking infrared photometry. We determine a Hubble Constant value of H0 = 75.1 0.2(stat.), with potential systematics up to 3 km s−1 Mpc−1.
ABSTRACT
RR Lyrae stars have long been popular standard candles, but significant advances in methodology and technology have been made in recent years to increase their precision as distance ...indicators. We present multiwavelength (optical UBVRcIc and Gaia G, BP, RP; near-infrared JHKs; mid-infrared 3.6, 4.5) period–luminosity–metallicity (PLZ), period–Wesenheit–metallicity (PWZ) relations, calibrated using photometry obtained from the Carnegie RR Lyrae Program and parallaxes from the Gaia second data release for 55 Galactic field RR Lyrae stars. The metallicity slope, which has long been predicted by theoretical relations, can now be measured in all passbands. The scatter in the PLZ relations is on the order of 0.2 mag, and is still dominated by uncertainties in the parallaxes. As a consistency check of our PLZ relations, we also measure the distance modulus to the globular cluster M4, the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud, and our results are in excellent agreement with estimates from previous studies.
We present a multi-wavelength compilation of new and previously published photometry for 55 Galactic field RR Lyrae variables. Individual studies, spanning a time baseline of up to 30 years, are ...self-consistently phased to produce light curves in 10 photometric bands covering the wavelength range from 0.4 to 4.5 microns. Data smoothing via the GLOESS technique is described and applied to generate high-fidelity light curves, from which mean magnitudes, amplitudes, rise times, and times of minimum and maximum light are derived. 60,000 observations were acquired using the new robotic Three-hundred MilliMeter Telescope (TMMT), which was first deployed at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, CA, and is now permanently installed and operating at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. We provide a full description of the TMMT hardware, software, and data reduction pipeline. Archival photometry contributed approximately 31,000 observations. Photometric data are given in the standard Johnson UBV, Kron-Cousins , 2MASS JHK, and Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 bandpasses.
The source responsible for reionizing the universe at z>6 remains uncertain. While an energetically adequate population of star-forming galaxies may be in place, it is unknown whether a large enough ...fraction of their ionizing radiation can escape into the intergalactic medium. Attempts to measure this escape fraction in intensely star-forming galaxies at lower redshifts have largely yielded upper limits. In this paper, we present new Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and archival Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) far-UV spectroscopy of a sample of 11 Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs), a rare population of local galaxies that strongly resemble the high-z Lyman Break galaxies. We combine these data with Sloan Digital Sky Survey optical spectra and Spitzer photometry. We also analyze archival FUSE observations of 15 typical UV-bright local starbursts. We find evidence of small covering factors for optically thick neutral gas in three cases. This is based on two independent pieces of evidence: a significant residual intensity in the cores of the strongest interstellar absorption-lines tracing neutral gas and a small ratio of extinction-corrected H Delta *a to UV plus far-IR luminosities. These objects represent three of the four LBAs that contain a young, very compact (~102 pc), and highly massive (~109 M ) dominant central object (DCO). These three objects also differ from the other galaxies in showing a significant amount of blueshifted Ly Delta *a emission, which may be related to the low covering factor of neutral gas. All four LBAs with DCOs in our sample show extremely high velocity outflows of interstellar gas, with line centroids blueshifted by about 700 km s--1 and maximum outflow velocities reaching at least 1500 km s--1. We show that these properties are consistent with an outflow driven by a powerful starburst that is exceptionally compact. We speculate that such extreme feedback may be required to enable the escape of ionizing radiation from star-forming galaxies.
gPhoton: THE GALEX PHOTON DATA ARCHIVE Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Shiao, Bernie ...
Astrophysical journal/The Astrophysical journal,
12/2016, Letnik:
833, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
ABSTRACT gPhoton is a new database product and software package that enables analysis of GALEX ultraviolet data at the photon level. The project's stand-alone, pure-Python calibration pipeline ...reproduces the functionality of the original mission pipeline to reduce raw spacecraft data to lists of time-tagged, sky-projected photons, which are then hosted in a publicly available database by the Mikulski Archive at Space Telescope. This database contains approximately 130 terabytes of data describing approximately 1.1 trillion sky-projected events with a timestamp resolution of five milliseconds. A handful of Python and command-line modules serve as a front end to interact with the database and to generate calibrated light curves and images from the photon-level data at user-defined temporal and spatial scales. The gPhoton software and source code are in active development and publicly available under a permissive license. We describe the motivation, design, and implementation of the calibration pipeline, database, and tools, with emphasis on divergence from prior work, as well as challenges created by the large data volume. We summarize the astrometric and photometric performance of gPhoton relative to the original mission pipeline. For a brief example of short time-domain science capabilities enabled by gPhoton, we show new flares from the known M-dwarf flare star CR Draconis. The gPhoton software has permanent object identifiers with the ASCL (ascl:1603.004) and DOI (doi:10.17909/T9CC7G). This paper describes the software as of version v1.27.2.
PDF
