• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.80.3-81
• /
• 2021

RR Lyrae variables are excellent distance indicators thanks to their visual magnitude-metallicity relation and well-defined Period-Luminosity Relations (PLRs) at infrared wavelengths. These population II variables together with the tip of the red giant branch provide primary calibration for the first-rung of the population II distance ladder. We will present new empirical calibration of RR Lyrae PLRs at near-infrared wavelengths using our data from the ongoing CFHT-WIRCam RR Lyrae program. We will discuss the systematic uncertainties involved in the calibration of these relations based on the latest Gaia EDR3 parallaxes and the implication for the cosmic distance scale.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 2015

We use ALLWISE data release W1- and W2-band epoch photometry collected by the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to determine slopes of the period-luminosity relations for RR Lyrae stars in 15 globular clusters in the corresponding bands. We further combine these results with V- and K-band photometry of Galactic field RR Lyrae stars to determine the metallicity slopes of the log $P_F-[Fe/H]-M_K$, log $P_F-[Fe/H]-M_{W1}$, and log $P_F-[Fe/H]-M_{W2}$ period-metallicity-luminosity relations. We infer the zero points of these relations and determine the kinematical parameters of thick-disk and halo RR Lyraes via statistical parallax, and estimate the RR Lyrae-based distances to 18 Local-Group galaxies including the center of the Milky Way.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.46 no.1
• /
• pp.35.1-35.1
• /
• 2021

RR Lyrae stars are sensitive probe for the precision stellar astrophysics and also for the cosmic distance scale thanks to their well-defined near-infrared Period-Luminosity relations (PLRs). These horizontal branch variables can be used for primary calibration of the first-rung of population II distance ladder providing an evaluation of the ongoing tension between Cepheid-Supernovae based Hubble constant and the Planck results. Therefore, absolute calibration of RR Lyrae PLRs is now crucial to complement or test the tip of the red giant branch based distances, and in turn, population II star based Hubble constant measurements. While the pulsation models of RR Lyrae can reproduce most observables, they predict a significant metallicity effect on their JHKs-band PLRs that is inconsistent with so-far limited observational studies. We remedy this inconsistency of metallicity dependence in RR Lyrae PLRs by combining their near-infrared observations in the globular clusters of different mean-metallicities with the new parallaxes from the Gaia early data release 3 (EDR3). Our empirical results on Period-Luminosity-Metallicity (PLZ)relations are consistent with theoretical predictions but the precision of absolute calibrations is still affected by the parallax uncertainties and the systematic zero-point offset present in the Gaia EDR3.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.44.4-45
• /
• 2017

We report the first detection of RR Lyrae variable stars in the Crater II dwarf galaxy, a recently discovered ultra-faint satellite of the Milky Way. Based on B, V time series photometry obtained with the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) at CTIO, Chile, we have identified ~45 fundamental-mode (ab-type) and ~2 first-overtone (c-type) RR Lyrae stars by adopting template light-curve fitting method. Our preliminary analysis suggests an Oosterhoff-intermediate classification of this galaxy from the mean period of the RRab stars, <$P_{ab}$> ${\simeq}0.63$ days, and the location of them on the period-amplitude diagram. We discuss the properties of the RR Lyare stars in this galaxy.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.267-268
• /
• 2015

One of the long-standing problems in modern astronomy is the curious division of globular clusters (GCs) into two groups, according to the mean period (<$P_{ab}$>) of type ab RR Lyrae variables. In light of the recent discovery of multiple populations in GCs, we suggest a new model explaining the origin of the Sandage period-shift and the difference in mean period of type ab RR Lyrae variables between the two Oosterhoff groups. In our models, the instability strip in the metal-poor group II clusters, such as M15, is populated by second generation stars (G2) with enhanced helium and CNO abundances, while the RR Lyraes in the relatively metal-rich group I clusters like M3 are mostly produced by first generation stars (G1) without these enhancements. This population shift within the instability strip with metallicity can create the observed period-shift between the two groups, since both helium and CNO abundances play a role in increasing the period of RR Lyrae variables. The presence of more metal-rich clusters having Oosterhoff-intermediate characteristics, such as NGC 1851, as well as of most metal-rich clusters having RR Lyraes with the longest periods (group III) can also be reproduced, as more helium-rich third and later generations of stars (G3) penetrate into the instability strip with further increase in metallicity. Therefore, although there are systems where the suggested population shift cannot be a viable explanation, for the most general cases, our models predict that RR Lyraes are produced mostly by G1, G2, and G3, respectively, for the Oosterhoff groups I, II, and III.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.115-130
• /
• 1999

We report the discovery of 17 new RR Lyrae variables in the central region ($\rleq1'$) of the globular cluster M53. There candidates were identified by using the Welch & Stetson (1993) technique and confirmed by checking individual light curves in both B and V bands. The color-magnitude diagram of the horizontal-branch stars in the central region is compared with that for stars observed in the outer region by Rey et al. (1998). Including the new data from this study, we estimate the fraction of c typeRR Lyrae variables, n(c)/n(ab + c), to be 0.43 which agrees well with the valuse of other Oosterhoff group II clusters.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.207-229
• /
• 1992

우리 은하계내 field RR Lyrae 변광성의 관측자료(GCVS 4th ed. )의 특성과 이들의 공간분포 및 증원소함량 분포를 조사하였다 이들의 공간분포에서 scale height 가 H = 0.6 kpc 인 원반(thick)형과 H = 2.2 kpc 인 헬로형의 두 성분으로 나타난다. 그리고 증원소함량의 은하중심거리와 은하정면거리에 따른 변화율은 각각 d[Fe/H]/dr = $-0.013\;{\sim}\;-0.020\;/kpc$ ($r\;{\le}\;20\;kpc$), d[Fe/H]/d|Z| = -0.034 /kpc ($|Z|\;{\le}\;10\;kpc$) 이다. 이러한 공간분포와 증원소함량의 기울기 변화는 구상성단의 경우와 비슷하게 이증진화모형을 나타낸다. 그러나 증원소함랑의 빈도분포로 보아 field RR Lyrae 변광성이 모두 구상성단에서 기원되었다고 보기는 어렵다.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.48.3-48.3
• /
• 2017

In our recent investigation of the Oosterhoff dichotomy among globular clusters (GCs), we have shown that the RR Lyrae variables in the Oosterhoff groups I, II, and III are produced mostly by first, second, and third generation stars (G1, G2, and G3), respectively. Unlike GCs, RR Lyrae stars in the Local Group dwarf galaxies show Oosterhoff-intermediate characteristics. The origin of this, however, is yet to be understood. In this poster, we will present our progress in understanding the origin of this phenomenon.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.154-164
• /
• 1994

The secular period behavior of 23 field RR Lyrae stars is studied in order to determine if the observed period changes could be attributed, at least in the mean, to stellar evolution. The sample of stars is subdivided into two Oosterhoff groups based on the metallicity and period-shift. Despite the small sample size, we found a distinct bias toward positive period changes in the group II variables. The period changes of the group I variables, however, are small and in the mean near zero. This is consistent with the behavior predicted by the recent evolutionary models, as was the case for the variables in globular clusters. This provides yet another support for the Lee, Demarque, and Zinn (1990) evolutionary models of RR Lyrase stars and their explanation of the Sandage period-shift effect.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.39.1-39.1
• /
• 2014

We present the results of our analysis of the RR Lyrae (RRL) variable stars detected in two transition-type dwarf galaxies (dTrans), ESO294-G010 and ESO410-G005 in the Sculptor group, which is known to be one of the closest neighboring galaxy groups to our Local Group. Using deep archival images from the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we have identified a sample of RR Lyrae candidates in both dTrans galaxies [219 RRab (RR0) and 13 RRc (RR1) variables in ESO294-G010; 225 RRab and 44 RRc stars in ESO410-G005]. The metallicities of the individual RRab stars are calculated via the period-amplitude-[Fe/H] relation derived by Alcock et al. This yields mean metallicities of <[Fe/H]>_{ESO294} = -1.77 +/- 0.03 and <[Fe/H]>_{ESO410} = -1.64+/- 0.03. The RRL metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) are investigated further via simple chemical evolution models; these reveal the relics of the early chemical enrichment processes for these two dTrans galaxies. In the case of both galaxies, the shapes of the RRL MDFs are well-described by pre-enrichment models. This suggests two possible channels for the early chemical evolution for these Sculptor group dTrans galaxies: 1) The ancient stellar populations of our target dwarf galaxies might have formed from the star forming gas which was already enriched through "prompt initial enrichment" or an "initial nucleosynthetic spike" from the very first massive stars, or 2) this pre-enrichment state might have been achieved by the end products from more evolved systems of their nearest neighbor, NGC 55.