A search for distant halo RR Lyrae stars

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (37) References (14) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS A search for distant halo RR Lyrae stars. Saha, A. Abstract Very valuable probes of the galactic halo are provided by RR Lyrae stars. These stars are readily detectable on the basis of their characteristic light variation and are, perhaps, the best calibrated distance indicators. Only recently it has become possible to measure radial velocities of these faint RR Lyrae stars with sufficient accuracy to study halo kinematics. Work is conducted which pushes the search for RR Lyrae stars to yet fainter magnitudes, and hence to regions even farther out in the halo. RR Lyrae stars have been found at distances as far as 50 kpc from the galactic center. Using these stars makes it possible to probe the extent, abundance content, and kinematical properties (and hence the mass distribution) of the distance halo. A description is provided of the discovery and photometry of the RR Lyrae stars, taking into account light curves and ephemerides of these objects. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: August 1984 DOI: 10.1086/162343 Bibcode: 1984ApJ...283..580S Keywords: Cepheid Variables; Galactic Structure; Light Curve; Milky Way Galaxy; Star Distribution; Stellar Motions; Astronomical Coordinates; Eclipsing Binary Stars; Electrophotometry; Ephemerides; Reference Stars; Schmidt Telescopes; Astronomy full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (38)