The effect of metallicity on Cepheid magnitudes and the distance to M33

V. Scowcroft; D. Bersier; J. R. Mould; P. R. Wood

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14822.x

The effect of metallicity on Cepheid magnitudes and the distance to M33

V. Scowcroft^*, D. Bersier, J. R. Mould, P. R. Wood

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present the results from a multi-epoch survey of two regions of M33 using the 3.5-m Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) telescope. The inner field is located close to the centre of the galaxy, with the outer region situated about 5.1 kpc away in the southern spiral arm, allowing us to sample a large metallicity range. We have data for 167 fundamental mode Cepheids in the two regions. The reddening-free Wesenheit magnitude W_vi period-luminosity (PL) relations were used to establish the distance modulus of each region, with μ_inner = 24.37 ± 0.02 mag and μ_outer = 24.54 ± 0.03 mag. The apparent discrepancy between these two results can be explained by the significant metallicity gradient of the galaxy. We determine a value for the metallicity parameter of the PL relation = -0.29 ± 0.11 mag dex^-1, consistent with previous measurements. This leads to a metallicity corrected distance modulus to M33 of μ_γ = 24.53 ± 0.11 mag.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1287-1296
Number of pages	10
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	396
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14822.x
Publication status	Published - Jul 2009

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title = "The effect of metallicity on Cepheid magnitudes and the distance to M33",

abstract = "We present the results from a multi-epoch survey of two regions of M33 using the 3.5-m Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) telescope. The inner field is located close to the centre of the galaxy, with the outer region situated about 5.1 kpc away in the southern spiral arm, allowing us to sample a large metallicity range. We have data for 167 fundamental mode Cepheids in the two regions. The reddening-free Wesenheit magnitude Wvi period-luminosity (PL) relations were used to establish the distance modulus of each region, with μinner = 24.37 ± 0.02 mag and μouter = 24.54 ± 0.03 mag. The apparent discrepancy between these two results can be explained by the significant metallicity gradient of the galaxy. We determine a value for the metallicity parameter of the PL relation = -0.29 ± 0.11 mag dex-1, consistent with previous measurements. This leads to a metallicity corrected distance modulus to M33 of μγ = 24.53 ± 0.11 mag.",

keywords = "Catalogues, Cepheids, Galaxies: distances and redshifts, Galaxies: individual: M33",

author = "V. Scowcroft and D. Bersier and Mould, {J. R.} and Wood, {P. R.}",

year = "2009",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14822.x",

language = "English",

volume = "396",

pages = "1287--1296",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of metallicity on Cepheid magnitudes and the distance to M33

AU - Scowcroft, V.

AU - Bersier, D.

AU - Mould, J. R.

AU - Wood, P. R.

PY - 2009/7

Y1 - 2009/7

N2 - We present the results from a multi-epoch survey of two regions of M33 using the 3.5-m Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) telescope. The inner field is located close to the centre of the galaxy, with the outer region situated about 5.1 kpc away in the southern spiral arm, allowing us to sample a large metallicity range. We have data for 167 fundamental mode Cepheids in the two regions. The reddening-free Wesenheit magnitude Wvi period-luminosity (PL) relations were used to establish the distance modulus of each region, with μinner = 24.37 ± 0.02 mag and μouter = 24.54 ± 0.03 mag. The apparent discrepancy between these two results can be explained by the significant metallicity gradient of the galaxy. We determine a value for the metallicity parameter of the PL relation = -0.29 ± 0.11 mag dex-1, consistent with previous measurements. This leads to a metallicity corrected distance modulus to M33 of μγ = 24.53 ± 0.11 mag.

AB - We present the results from a multi-epoch survey of two regions of M33 using the 3.5-m Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO (WIYN) telescope. The inner field is located close to the centre of the galaxy, with the outer region situated about 5.1 kpc away in the southern spiral arm, allowing us to sample a large metallicity range. We have data for 167 fundamental mode Cepheids in the two regions. The reddening-free Wesenheit magnitude Wvi period-luminosity (PL) relations were used to establish the distance modulus of each region, with μinner = 24.37 ± 0.02 mag and μouter = 24.54 ± 0.03 mag. The apparent discrepancy between these two results can be explained by the significant metallicity gradient of the galaxy. We determine a value for the metallicity parameter of the PL relation = -0.29 ± 0.11 mag dex-1, consistent with previous measurements. This leads to a metallicity corrected distance modulus to M33 of μγ = 24.53 ± 0.11 mag.

KW - Catalogues

KW - Cepheids

KW - Galaxies: distances and redshifts

KW - Galaxies: individual: M33

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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14822.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14822.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 396

SP - 1287

EP - 1296

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

The effect of metallicity on Cepheid magnitudes and the distance to M33

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