RR Lyrae Mid-infrared Period-Luminosity-Metallicity and Period-Wesenheit-Metallicity Relations Based on Gaia DR3 Parallaxes

Mullen, Joseph P.; Marengo, Massimo; Martínez-Vázquez, Clara E.; Chaboyer, Brian; Bono, Giuseppe; Braga, Vittorio F.; Dall'Ora, Massimo; D'Orazi, Valentina; Fabrizio, Michele; Monelli, Matteo; Thévenin, Frédéric
Bibliographical reference

The Astrophysical Journal

Advertised on:
3
2023
Number of authors
11
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
5
Refereed citations
4
Description
We present new empirical infrared period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ) and period-Wesenheit-metallicity (PWZ) relations for RR Lyae based on the latest Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) parallaxes. The relations are provided in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1 and W2 bands, as well as in the W(W1, V - W1) and W(W2, V - W2) Wesenheit magnitudes. The relations are calibrated using a very large sample of Galactic halo field RR Lyrae stars with homogeneous spectroscopic [Fe/H] abundances (over 1000 stars in the W1 band), covering a broad range of metallicities (-2.5 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ 0.0). We test the performance of our PLZ and PWZ relations by determining the distance moduli of both galactic and extragalactic stellar associations: the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the Local Group (finding ${\bar{\mu }}_{0}=19.47\pm 0.06$ ), the Galactic globular clusters M4 ( ${\bar{\mu }}_{0}=11.16\pm 0.05$ ), and the Reticulum globular cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud ( ${\bar{\mu }}_{0}=18.23\pm 0.06$ ). The distance moduli determined through all our relations are internally self-consistent (within ≲0.05 mag) but are systematically smaller (by ~2-3σ) than previous literature measurements taken from a variety of methods/anchors. However, a comparison with similar recent RR Lyrae empirical relations anchored with EDR3 likewise shows, to varying extents, a systematically smaller distance modulus for PLZ/PWZ RR Lyrae relations.
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