New open cluster Cepheids in the VVV survey tightly constrain near-infrared period–luminosity relations [GA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1609.05440


Classical Cepheids are among the most useful Galactic and nearby extragalactic distance tracers because of their well-defined period–luminosity relations (PLRs). Open cluster (OC) Cepheids are important objects to independently calibrate these PLRs. Based on Data Release 1 of the {\sl VISTA} Variables in the V\’ia L\’actea survey, we have discovered four new, faint and heavily reddened OC Cepheids, including the longest-period OC Cepheid known, ASAS J180342$-$2211.0 in Teutsch 14a. The other OC–Cepheid pairs include NGC 6334 and V0470 Sco, Majaess 170 and ASAS J160125$-$5150.3, and Teutsch 77 and BB Cen. ASAS J180342$-$2211.0, with a period of $\log P = 1.623$ [days] is important to constrain the slope of the PLR. The currently most complete $JHK_{\rm s}$ Galactic Cepheid PLRs are obtained based on a significantly increased sample of 31 OC Cepheids, with associated uncertainties that are improved by 40 per cent compared with previous determinations (in the $J$ band). The NIR PLRs are in good agreement with previous PLRs determined based on other methods.

Read this paper on arXiv…

X. Chen, R. Grijs and L. Deng
Tue, 20 Sep 16
4/74

Comments: 9 pages, 3 figures, accepted by MNRAS