A technique for determining the extragalactic distance scale

Abstract

We propose a method of distance determination based on the internal structure and dynamics of disk galaxies. The method relies on the universal luminosity pro le of a stellar disk represented by an exponential law. Calibrating nearby galaxies with known distances, it is found that the scale length of the disk is tightly correlated with the speci c combination of central surface brightness and rotational velocity at a characteristic radius of 2.15 scale lengths from the center. This suggests that the scale length of the disk may be used as an indicator for extragalactic distance scale. The application of this relation to M51 and M100 allows us to arrive at the distances of about 6 Mpc and 14 Mpc, respectively, implying a Hubble constant of H 0 = 92 94 km s 1 Mpc 1 . Subject headings: distance scale | galaxies: kinematics and dynamics | photometry | spiral | structure