Distances to Local Group galaxies. II. Fornax dSph

We determine three independent Population II distance moduli to the Fornax dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, using wide-field, ground-based VI imaging acquired with the Magellan-Baade telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. After subtracting foreground stars using Gaia EDR3 proper motions, we measure an I-band tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) magnitude of I_0_^TRGB^=16.753+/-0.03_stat_+/-0.037_sys_mag, with a calibration based in the LMC giving a distance modulus of {mu}0^TRGB^=20.80+/-0.037_stat_+/-0.057_sys_mag. We determine an RR Lyrae (RRL) distance from template mean magnitudes, with periods adopted from the literature. Adopting a Gaia DR2 calibration of first overtone RRL period-luminosity and period-Wesenheit relations, we find {mu}0^PLZ^=20.74+/-0.01_stat_+/-0.12_sys_mag and {mu}0^PWZ^=20.68+/-0.02_stat_+/-0.07_sys_mag. Finally, we determine a distance from Fornax's horizontal branch (HB) and two galactic globular cluster calibrators, giving {mu}0^HB^=20.83+/-0.03_stat_+/-0.09_sys_mag. These distances are each derived from homogeneous IMACS photometry, are anchored to independent geometric zero-points, and utilize different classes of stars. We therefore average over independent uncertainties and report the combined distance modulus =20.770+/-0.042_stat_+/-0.024_sys_mag (corresponding to a distance of 143+/-3kpc).

Cone search capability for table J/ApJ/929/116/table3 (IMACS photometry)

Identifier
Source https://dc.g-vo.org/rr/q/lp/custom/CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/929/116
Related Identifier https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/ApJ/929/116
Related Identifier http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/929/116
Metadata Access http://dc.g-vo.org/rr/q/pmh/pubreg.xml?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_b2find&identifier=ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/929/116
Provenance
Creator Oakes E.K.; Hoyt T.J.; Freedman W.L.; Madore B.F.; Tran Q.H.; Cerny W.,Beaton R.L.; Seibert M.
Publisher CDS
Publication Year 2024
Rights https://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.html
OpenAccess true
Contact CDS support team <cds-question(at)unistra.fr>
Representation
Resource Type Dataset; AstroObjects
Discipline Astrophysics and Astronomy; Galactic and extragalactic Astronomy; Natural Sciences; Observational Astronomy; Physics; Stellar Astronomy