• 천문학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.27-70
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• 1997

The brightest stars in galaxies have been used as distance indicators since Hubble. However, the accuracy of the brightest stars for distance estimates has been controversial. Recently, Rozanski & Rowan-Robinson [1994 : MNRAS, 271, 530] argued large errors of this method for the distance determination : 0.58 mag and 0.90 mag, respectively, for the brightest red stars and the brightest blue stars, while Karachentsev & Tikhonov [1994 : A&A, 286, 718] suggested much smaller errors in the distance determination than the former: 0.37 mag for the brightest red stars and 0.46 mag for the brightest blue stars. The reasons for these conflicting results are not yet known. In this study we have investigated the accuracy of this method using a sample of 17 galaxies for which Cepheid distances are known and reliable photometry of the brightest stars are available. We have obtained the calibrations of the relations between the mean luminosities of the three blue and red brightest supergiants (BSGs and RSGs, respectively) and the total luminosities of the parent galaxies: $= 0.21M_B^T- 3.84, \sigma(M_v) = 0.37 mag,\;and\;\delta_{\mu0}=0.47$ mag for the brightest red supergiants, and $= 0.30M_B^T -3.02, \sigma(M_B)\;=\;0.55 mag,\;and\; \delta_{\mu0}=0.79mag$ for the brightest blue supergiants. Also it is found that the errors in the distance determination are reduced by a factor of two, as the observing wavelengths increase from B-band to K-band. In conclusion, the brightest red supergiants are considered to be useful for determining the distances to resolved late-type galaxies.

• 천문학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.9-28
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• 2002

We present UBVI CCD photometry of the stellar contents and globular cluster(GC) candidates in the spiral galaxy NGC 300 in the Sculptor group. Color-magnitude diagrams for 18 OB associations having more than 30 member stars are presented. The slope of the initial mass function for the bright stars in NGC 300 is estimated to be ${\Gamma}= -2.6{\pm} 0.3$. Assuming the distance to NGC 300 of (m - M)o = 26.53 $\pm$ 0.07, the mean absolute magnitude of three brightest blue stars is obtained to be < $M_v^{BSG}$ (3) > = -8.95 mag. We have performed search for GCs in NGC 300 and have found 17 GC candidates in this galaxy. Some characteristics of these GC candidates are discussed.

• 천문학회보
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.60.2-60.2
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• 2018

We present the near infrared JHK photometric properties and the spatial distribution of red supergiants(RSGs) of NGC 3623, NGC 3627 and NGC 3628 in the Leo Triplet system using the data obtained with 3.8m UKIRT(United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope) at Hawaii. We checked interaction between the three galaxies by making a spatial density map of RSGs. From (J-K,K)0 Color-Magnitude Diagram which include resolved stars in three galaxy and control field with PARSEC isochrone, we figured out the RSG candidates of the Leo triplet are at 0.9<(J-K)0<1.2, mK<17.5 and separated them from background and foreground sources. Using gaussian kernel density estimation, we drew spatial density map of RSGs in the Leo triplet with an assumption that all RSGs are an identical population. The density map shows extended features of NGC 3628 to NGC 3627 along the declination direction. The asymmetries between NGC 3627 and NGC 3628 might be evidence for that the distribution of actual star components(RSGs) follows the neutral hydrogen distribution and also for interaction between two galaxies. And the extended features along the right ascension direction might be a supporting evidence for the existence of a TDG(Tidal Dwarf Galaxy). In case of NGC 3623, we could not see any sign of interaction in density map.