A database of Cepheid distance moduli and tip of the red giant branch, globular cluster luminosity function, planetary nebula luminosity function, and surface brightness fluctuation data useful for distance determinations
L. Ferrarese et al., A database of Cepheid distance moduli and tip of the red giant branch, globular cluster luminosity function, planetary nebula luminosity function, and surface brightness fluctuation data useful for distance determinations, ASTROPH J S, 128(2), 2000, pp. 431-459
We present a compilation of Cepheid distance moduli and data for four secon
dary distance indicators that employ stars in the old stellar populations:
the planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF), the globular cluster lumin
osity function (GCLF), the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), and the surf
ace brightness fluctuation (SBF) method. The database includes all data pub
lished as of 1999 July 15. The main strength of this compilation resides in
the fact that all data are on a consistent and homogeneous system: all Cep
heid distances are derived using the same calibration of the period-luminos
ity relation, the treatment of errors is consistent for all indicators, and
measurements that are not considered reliable are excluded. As such, the d
atabase is ideal for comparing any of the distance indicators considered, o
r for deriving a Cepheid calibration to any secondary distance indicator, s
uch as the Tully-Fisher relation, the Type Ia supernovae, or the fundamenta
l plane for elliptical galaxies. This task has already been undertaken by F
errarese et at, Sakai et al., Kelson et al., and Gibson et al. Specifically
the database includes (1) Cepheid distances, extinctions, and metallicitie
s; (2) reddened apparent lambda 5007 Angstrom magnitudes of the PNLF cutoff
; (3) reddened apparent magnitudes and colors of the turnover of the GCLF (
in both the V and B bands); (4) reddened apparent magnitudes of the TRGB (i
n the I band) and V-I colors at 0.5 mag fainter than the TRGB; and (5) redd
ened apparent surface brightness fluctuation magnitudes measured in Kron-Co
usin I, K', and K-short, and using the F814W filter with the Hubble Space T
elescope (HST) WFPC2. In addition, for every galaxy in the database we give
reddening estimates from IRAS/DIRBE as well as H I maps, J2000 coordinates
, Hubble and T-type morphological classification, apparent total magnitude
in B, and systemic velocity.