The Red Giant Branch Distance Research Articles

An Empirical Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distance Method in the Near Infrared. I. Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR F110W and F160W Filters

The tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) based distance method in the I band is one of the most efficient and precise techniques for measuring distances to nearby galaxies (D ≲ 15 Mpc). The TRGB in the near-infrared (NIR) is 1–2 mag brighter relative to the I band, and has the potential to expand the range over which distance measurements to nearby galaxies are feasible. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of 12 fields in eight nearby galaxies, we determine color-based corrections and zero-points of the TRGB in the Wide Field Camera 3 IR (WFC3/IR) F110W and F160W filters. First, we measure TRGB distances in the I band equivalent Advanced Camera System (ACS) F814W filter from resolved stellar populations with the HST. The TRGB in the ACS F814W filter is used for our distance anchor and to place the WFC3/IR magnitudes on an absolute scale. We then determine the color dependence (a proxy for metallicity/age) and zero-point of the NIR TRGB from photometry of WFC3/IR fields that overlap with the ACS fields. The new calibration is accurate to ∼1% in distance relative to the F814W TRGB. Validating the accuracy of the calibrations, we find that the distance modulus for each field using the NIR TRGB calibration agrees with the distance modulus of the same field as determined from the F814W TRGB. This is a JWST preparatory program, and the work done here will directly inform our approach to calibrating the TRGB in JWST NIRCam and NIRISS photometric filters.

Resolved Near-infrared Stellar Photometry from the Magellan Telescope for 13 Nearby Galaxies: J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch Method Distances

We present near-infrared JHK photometry for the resolved stellar populations in 13 nearby galaxies: NGC 6822, IC 1613, NGC 3109, Sextans B, Sextans A, NGC 300, NGC 55, NGC 7793, NGC 247, NGC 5253, Cen A, NGC 1313, and M83, acquired from the 6.5 m Baade–Magellan telescope. We measure distances to each galaxy using the J-region asymptotic giant branch (JAGB) method, a new standard candle that leverages the constant luminosities of color-selected, carbon-rich AGB stars. While only single-epoch, random-phase photometry is necessary to derive JAGB distances, our photometry is time-averaged over multiple epochs, thereby decreasing the contribution of the JAGB stars’ intrinsic variability to the measured dispersions in their observed luminosity functions. To cross-validate these distances, we also measure near-infrared tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to these galaxies. The residuals obtained from subtracting the distance moduli from the two methods yield an rms scatter of σ JAGB−TRGB = ±0.07 mag. Therefore, all systematics in the JAGB method and TRGB method (e.g., crowding, differential reddening, star formation histories) must be contained within these ±0.07 mag bounds for this sample of galaxies because the JAGB and TRGB distance indicators are drawn from entirely distinct stellar populations and are thus affected by these systematics independently. Finally, the composite JAGB star luminosity function formed from this diverse sample of galaxies is well described by a Gaussian function with a modal value of M J = –6.20 ± 0.003 mag (stat), indicating that the underlying JAGB star luminosity function of a well-sampled full star formation history is highly symmetric and Gaussian based on over 6700 JAGB stars in the composite sample.

Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distances with JWST: An Absolute Calibration in NGC 4258 and First Applications to Type Ia Supernova Hosts

The tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) allows for the measurement of precise and accurate distances to nearby galaxies based on the brightest ascent of low-mass red giant branch stars before they undergo the helium flash. With the advent of JWST, there is great promise to utilize the technique to measure galaxy distances out to at least 50 Mpc, significantly further than the Hubble Space Telescope's (HST's) reach of 20 Mpc. However, with any standard candle, it is first necessary to provide an absolute reference. Here, we use Cycle 1 data to provide an absolute calibration in the F090W filter. F090W is most similar to the F814W filter commonly used for TRGB measurements with HST, which had been adopted by the community due to its minimal dependence on the underlying metallicities and ages of stars. The imaging we use was taken in the outskirts of NGC 4258, which has a direct geometrical distance measurement from the Keplerian motion of its water megamaser. Utilizing several measurement techniques, we find MTRGBF090W = −4.362 ± 0.033 (stat) ± 0.045 (sys) mag (Vega) for the metal-poor TRGB. We also perform measurements of the TRGB in two Type Ia supernova hosts, NGC 1559 and NGC 5584. We find good agreement between our TRGB distances and previous determinations of distances to these galaxies from Cepheids (Δ = 0.01 ± 0.06 mag), with these differences being too small to explain the Hubble tension (∼0.17 mag). In addition, we showcase the serendipitous discovery of a faint dwarf galaxy near NGC 5584.

Small-amplitude Red Giants Elucidate the Nature of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch as a Standard Candle

The tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) is an important standard candle for determining luminosity distances. Although several 105 small-amplitude red giant stars (SARGs) have been discovered, variability was previously considered irrelevant for the TRGB as a standard candle. Here, we show that all stars near the TRGB are SARGs that follow several period–luminosity sequences, of which sequence A is younger than sequence B as predicted by stellar evolution. We measure apparent TRGB magnitudes, m TRGB, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using Sobel filters applied to photometry from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment and the ESA Gaia mission, and we identify several weaknesses in a recent LMC-based TRGB calibration used to measure the Hubble constant. We consider four samples: all red giants (RGs), SARGs, and sequences A and B. The B sequence is best suited for measuring distances to old RG populations, with M F814W,0 = −4.025 ± 0.014(stat.) ± 0.033(syst.) mag assuming the LMC’s geometric distance. Control of systematics is demonstrated using detailed simulations. Population diversity affects m TRGB at a level exceeding the stated precision: the SARG and A-sequence samples yield 0.039 and 0.085 mag fainter (at 5σ significance) m TRGB values, respectively. Ensuring equivalent RG populations is crucial to measuring accurate TRGB distances. Additionally, luminosity function smoothing (∼0.02 mag) and edge detection response weighting (as much as −0.06 mag) can further bias TRGB measurements, with the latter introducing a tip-contrast relation. We are optimistic that variable RGs will enable further improvements to the TRGB as a standard candle.

Hubble tension and fifth forces

Fifth forces are ubiquitous in modified theories of gravity. In this paper, we analyze their effect on the Cepheid-calibrated cosmic distance ladder, specifically with respect to the inferred value of the Hubble constant (H0). We consider a variety of effective models where the strength, or amount of screening, of the fifth force is estimated using proxy fields related to the large-scale structure of the Universe. To quantify the level of tension between the local distance ladder and the value for H0, we calculate the probability of obtaining a test result at least as extreme as the observed one, assuming that the model is correct (the p-value). For all models considered, the level of agreement is ≳20%, relieving the tension compared to the concordance model, exhibiting an agreement of only 1%. The alleviated discrepancy comes partially at the cost of an increased tension between distance estimates from Cepheids and the tip of the red-giant branch (TRGB). Demanding also that the consistency between Cepheid and TRGB distance estimates is not impaired, some fifth force models can still accommodate the data with a probability ≳20%. This provides incentive for more detailed investigations of fundamental theories on which the effective models are based and their effect on the Hubble tension. Published by the American Physical Society 2023

Exploring the Structures and Substructures of the Andromeda Satellite Dwarf Galaxies Cassiopeia III, Perseus I, and Lacerta I

We present results from wide-field imaging of the resolved stellar populations of the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Cassiopeia III (And XXXII) and Perseus I (And XXXIII), two satellites in the outer stellar halo of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). Our WIYN pODI photometry traces the red giant star population in each galaxy to ∼2.5−3 half-light radii from the galaxy center. We use the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method to derive distances of (m − M)0 = 24.62 ± 0.12 mag (839 kpc, or kpc from M31) for Cas III and 24.47 ± 0.13 mag (738 kpc, or 351 kpc from M31) for Per I. These values are consistent within the errors with TRGB distances derived from a deeper Hubble Space Telescope study of the galaxies’ inner regions. For each galaxy, we derive structural parameters, total magnitude, and central surface brightness. We also place upper limits on the ratio of neutral hydrogen gas mass to optical luminosity, confirming the gas-poor nature of both galaxies. We combine our data set with corresponding data for the M31 satellite galaxy Lacerta I (And XXXI) from earlier work and search for substructure within the RGB star populations of Cas III, Per I, and Lac I. We find an overdense region on the west side of Lac I at a significance level of 2.5σ–3σ and a low-significance filament extending in the direction of M31. In Cas III, we identify two modestly significant overdensities near the center of the galaxy and another at two half-light radii. Per I shows no evidence for substructure in its RGB star population, which may reflect this galaxy’s isolated nature.

A BayeSN distance ladder: H0 from a consistent modelling of Type Ia supernovae from the optical to the near-infrared

ABSTRACT The local distance ladder estimate of the Hubble constant (H0) is important in cosmology, given the recent tension with the early universe inference. We estimate H0 from the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) distance ladder, inferring SN Ia distances with the hierarchical Bayesian SED model, BayeSN. This method has a notable advantage of being able to continuously model the optical and near-infrared (NIR) SN Ia light curves simultaneously. We use two independent distance indicators, Cepheids or the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), to calibrate a Hubble-flow sample of 67 SNe Ia with optical and NIR data. We estimate H0 = 74.82 ± 0.97 (stat) $\pm \, 0.84$ (sys) km ${\rm s}^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ when using the calibration with Cepheid distances to 37 host galaxies of 41 SNe Ia, and 70.92 ± 1.14 (stat) $\pm \, 1.49$ (sys) km ${\rm s}^{-1}\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ when using the calibration with TRGB distances to 15 host galaxies of 18 SNe Ia. For both methods, we find a low intrinsic scatter σint ≲ 0.1 mag. We test various selection criteria and do not find significant shifts in the estimate of H0. Simultaneous modelling of the optical and NIR yields up to ∼15 per cent reduction in H0 uncertainty compared to the equivalent optical-only cases. With improvements expected in other rungs of the distance ladder, leveraging joint optical-NIR SN Ia data can be critical to reducing the H0 error budget.

A Uniform Type Ia Supernova Distance Ladder with the Zwicky Transient Facility: Absolute Calibration Based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method

The current Cepheid-calibrated distance ladder measurement of H 0 is reported to be in tension with the values inferred from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), assuming standard cosmology. However, some tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) estimates report H 0 in better agreement with the CMB. Hence, it is critical to reduce systematic uncertainties in local measurements to understand the Hubble tension. In this paper, we propose a uniform distance ladder between the second and third rungs, combining Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) with a TRGB calibration of their absolute luminosity. A large, volume-limited sample of both calibrator and Hubble flow SNe Ia from the same survey minimizes two of the largest sources of systematics: host-galaxy bias and nonuniform photometric calibration. We present results from a pilot study using the existing TRGB distance to the host galaxy of ZTF SN Ia SN 2021rhu (aka ZTF21abiuvdk) in NGC7814. Combining the ZTF calibrator with a volume-limited sample from the first data release of ZTF Hubble flow SNe Ia, we infer H 0 = 76.94 ± 6.4 km s−1 Mpc−1, an 8.3% measurement. The error budget is dominated by the single object calibrating the SN Ia luminosity in this pilot study. However, the ZTF sample includes already five other SNe Ia within ∼20 Mpc for which TRGB distances can be obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. Finally, we present the prospects of building this distance ladder out to 80 Mpc with James Webb Space Telescope observations of more than 100 ZTF SNe Ia.

Galaxy Properties at the Faint End of the H i Mass Function

Abstract The Survey of H i in Extremely Low-mass Dwarfs (SHIELD) includes a volumetrically complete sample of 82 gas-rich dwarfs with M H I ≲ 10 7.2 M ⊙ selected from the ALFALFA survey. We are obtaining extensive follow-up observations of the SHIELD galaxies to study their gas, stellar, and chemical content, and to better understand galaxy evolution at the faint end of the H i mass function. Here, we investigate the properties of 30 SHIELD galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope imaging of their resolved stars and Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope observations of their neutral hydrogen. We measure tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances, star formation activity, and gas properties. The TRGB distances are up to 4× greater than estimates from flow models, highlighting the importance of velocity-independent distance indicators in the nearby universe. The SHIELD galaxies are in underdense regions, with 23% located in voids; one galaxy appears paired with a more massive dwarf. We quantify galaxy properties at low masses including stellar and H i masses, star formation rate (SFRs), specific SFRs, star formation efficiencies, birth-rate parameters, and gas fractions. The lowest-mass systems lie below the mass thresholds where stellar mass assembly is predicted to be impacted by reionization. Even so, we find the star formation properties follow the same trends as higher-mass gas-rich systems, albeit with a different normalization. The H i disks are small ( ⟨ r ⟩ < 0.7 kpc ), making it difficult to measure the H i rotation using standard techniques; we develop a new methodology and report the velocity extent, and its associated spatial extent, with robust uncertainties.

The Carnegie Chicago Hubble Program X: Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distances to NGC 5643 and NGC 1404

Abstract The primary goal of the Carnegie Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) is to calibrate the zero-point of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) Hubble Diagram through the use of Population II standard candles. So far, the CCHP has measured direct distances to 11 SNe Ia, and here we increase that number to 15 with two new Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances measured to NGC 5643 and NGC 1404. We present resolved, point-source photometry from new Hubble Space Telescope imaging of these two galaxies in the F814W and F606W bandpasses. From each galaxy’s stellar halo, we construct an F814W-band luminosity function in which we detect an unambiguous edge feature identified as the TRGB. For NGC 5643, we find μ 0 = 30.48 ± 0.03(stat) ± 0.07(sys) mag, and for NGC 1404 we find μ 0 = 31.36 ± 0.04(stat) ± 0.05(sys) mag. From a preliminary consideration of the SNe Ia in these galaxies, we find increased confidence in the results presented in Paper VIII. The high precision of our TRGB distances enables a significant measurement of the 3D displacement between the Fornax cluster galaxies NGC 1404 and NGC 1316 (Fornax A) equal to 1.50 − 0.39 + 0.25 Mpc, which we show is in agreement with independent constraints found in the literature.

Modified Gravity and the Flux-weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship of Blue Supergiant Stars

Abstract We calculate models of stellar evolution for very massive stars and include the effects of modified gravity to investigate the influence on the physical properties of blue supergiant stars and their use as extragalactic distance indicators. With shielding and fifth force parameters in a similar range as those in previous studies of Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) stars, we find clear effects on stellar luminosity and flux-weighted gravity. The relationship between flux-weighted gravity, g F ≡ g/ , and bolometric magnitude M bol, which has been used successfully for accurate distance determinations, is systematically affected. While the stellar evolution of flux-weighted gravity–luminosity relationships (FGLRs) show a systematic offset from the observed relation, we can use the differential shifts between models with Newtonian and modified gravity to estimate the influence on FGLR distance determinations. Modified gravity leads to an increase in distance of 0.05–0.15 magnitudes in distance modulus. These changes are comparable to the ones found for Cepheid stars. We compare observed FGLR and TRGB distances of nine galaxies to constrain the free parameters of modified gravity. Not accounting for systematic differences between TRGB and FGLR distances shielding parameters of 5 × 10−7 and 10−6 and fifth force parameters of 1/3 and 1 can be ruled out with about 90% confidence. Allowing for potential systematic offsets between TRGB and FGLR distances no determination is possible for a shielding parameter of 10−6. For 5 × 10−7 a fifth force parameter of 1 can be ruled out to 92% but 1/3 is unlikely only to 60%.

The Hubble Constant from Infrared Surface Brightness Fluctuation Distances*

Abstract We present a measurement of the Hubble constant H 0 from surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances for 63 bright, mainly early-type galaxies out to 100 Mpc observed with the WFC3/IR on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The sample is drawn from several independent HST imaging programs using the F110W bandpass, with the majority of the galaxies being selected from the MASSIVE survey. The distances reach the Hubble flow with a median statistical uncertainty per measurement of 4%. We construct the Hubble diagram with these IR SBF distances and constrain H 0 using four different treatments of the galaxy velocities. For the SBF zero-point calibration, we use both the existing tie to Cepheid variables, updated for consistency with the latest determination of the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud from detached eclipsing binaries, and a new tie to the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) calibrated from the maser distance to NGC 4258. These two SBF calibrations are consistent with each other and with theoretical predictions from stellar population models. From a weighted average of the Cepheid and TRGB calibrations, we derive H 0 = 73.3 ± 0.7 ± 2.4 km s−1 Mpc−1, where the error bars reflect the statistical and systematic uncertainties. This result accords well with recent measurements of H 0 from Type Ia supernovae, time delays in multiply lensed quasars, and water masers. The systematic uncertainty could be reduced to below 2% by calibrating the SBF method with precision TRGB distances for a statistical sample of massive early-type galaxies out to the Virgo cluster measured with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Two Faint Dwarf Satellites of Nearby LMC Analogs from MADCASH*

Abstract We present a deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging study of two dwarf galaxies in the halos of Local Volume Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) analogs. These dwarfs were discovered as part of our Subaru+Hyper Suprime-Cam MADCASH survey: MADCASH-1 is a satellite of NGC 2403 (D ∼ 3.2 Mpc), and MADCASH-2 is a previously unknown dwarf galaxy near NGC 4214 (D ∼ 3 Mpc). Our HST data reach >3.5 mag below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) of each dwarf, allowing us to derive their structural parameters and assess their stellar populations. We measure TRGB distances ( D MADCASH − 1 = 3.41 − 0.23 + 0.24 Mpc, D MADCASH − 2 = 3.00 − 0.15 + 0.13 Mpc), and confirm the dwarfs’ associations with their host galaxies. MADCASH-1 is a predominantly old, metal-poor stellar system (age ∼13.5 Gyr, [M/H] ∼ −2.0), similar to many Local Group dwarfs. Modelling of MADCASH-2's color–magnitude diagram suggests that it contains mostly ancient, metal-poor stars (age ∼13.5 Gyr, [M/H] ∼ −2.0), but that ∼10% of its stellar mass was formed 1.1–1.5 Gyr ago and ∼1% was formed 400–500 Myr ago. Given its recent star formation, we search MADCASH-2 for neutral hydrogen using the Green Bank Telescope, but find no emission and estimate an upper limit on the H i mass of <4.8 × 104 M ⊙. These are the faintest dwarf satellites known around host galaxies of LMC mass outside the Local Group (M V,MADCASH−1 = −7.81 ± 0.18, M V,MADCASH−2 = −9.15 ± 0.12), and one of them shows signs of recent environmental quenching by its host. Once the MADCASH survey for faint dwarf satellites is complete, our census will enable us to test predictions from cold dark matter models for hierarchical structure formation and discover the physical mechanisms by which low-mass hosts influence the evolution of their satellites.

Determination of the Local Hubble Constant from Virgo Infall Using TRGB Distances

Abstract An independent determination of H 0 is crucial given the growing tension between the Hubble constant, H 0, derived locally and that determined from the modeling of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) originating in the early universe. In this work, we present a new determination of H 0 using velocities and tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to 33 galaxies located between the Local Group and the Virgo cluster. We use a model of the infall pattern of the local Hubble flow modified by the Virgo mass, which is given as a function of the cosmological constants (H 0, ΩΛ), the radius of the zero-velocity surface R 0, and the intrinsic velocity dispersion, σ v . Fitting velocities and TRGB distances of 33 galaxies to the model, we obtain H 0 = 65.8 ± 3.5 (stat) ± 2.4 (sys) km s−1 Mpc−1 and R 0 = 6.76 ± 0.35 Mpc. Our local H 0 is consistent with the global H 0 determined from CMB radiation, showing no tension. In addition, we present new TRGB distances to NGC 4437 and NGC 4592, which are located near the zero-velocity surface: D = 9.28 ± 0.39 Mpc and D = 9.07 ± 0.27 Mpc, respectively. Their spatial separation is 0.29 Mpc, suggesting that they form a physical pair.

Distances to PHANGS galaxies: New tip of the red giant branch measurements and adopted distances

ABSTRACT PHANGS-HST is an ultraviolet-optical imaging survey of 38 spiral galaxies within ∼20 Mpc. Combined with the PHANGS-ALMA, PHANGS-MUSE surveys and other multiwavelength data, the data set will provide an unprecedented look into the connections between young stars, H ii regions, and cold molecular gas in these nearby star-forming galaxies. Accurate distances are needed to transform measured observables into physical parameters (e.g. brightness to luminosity, angular to physical sizes of molecular clouds, star clusters and associations). PHANGS-HST has obtained parallel ACS imaging of the galaxy haloes in the F606W and F814W bands. Where possible, we use these parallel fields to derive tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to these galaxies. In this paper, we present TRGB distances for 10 PHANGS galaxies from ∼4 to ∼15 Mpc, based on the first year of PHANGS-HST observations. Four of these represent the first published TRGB distance measurements (IC 5332, NGC 2835, NGC 4298, and NGC 4321), and seven of which are the best available distances to these targets. We also provide a compilation of distances for the 118 galaxies in the full PHANGS sample, which have been adopted for the first PHANGS-ALMA public data release.

Screened fifth forces lower the TRGB-calibrated Hubble constant too

The local distance ladder measurement of the Hubble constant requires a connection between geometric distances at low redshift and Type Ia supernovae in the Hubble flow, which may be achieved through either the Cepheid period--luminosity relation or the luminosity of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) feature of the Hertzsprung--Russell diagram. Any potential solution to the Hubble tension that works by altering the distance ladder must produce consistency of both the Cepheid and TRGB $H_0$ calibrations with the CMB. In this paper we extend our models of screened fifth forces (Desmond et al 2019) to cover the TRGB framework. A fifth force lowers TRGB luminosity, so a reduction in inferred $H_0$ requires that the stars that calibrate the luminosity---currently in the LMC---are on average less screened than those that calibrate the supernova magnitude. We show that even under pessimistic assumptions for the extinction to the LMC, full consistency with Planck can be achieved for a fifth force strength in unscreened RGB stars $\sim$0.2 that of Newtonian gravity. This is allowed by the comparison of Cepheid and TRGB distance measurements to nearby galaxies. Our results indicate that the framework of Desmond et al (2019) is more versatile than initially demonstrated, capable of ameliorating the Hubble tension on a second front.

A Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distance to the Dark Matter Deficient Galaxy NGC 1052-DF4 from Deep Hubble Space Telescope Data

Abstract Previous studies have shown that the large, diffuse galaxies NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4 both have populations of unusually luminous globular clusters as well as a very low dark matter content. Here we present newly obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of one of these galaxies, NGC 1052-DF4. We use these data to measure the distance of the galaxy from the location of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). We find a rapid increase in the number of detected stars fainter than m F814W ∼ 27.3, which we identify as the onset of the red giant branch. Using a forward modeling approach that takes the photometric uncertainties into account, we find a TRGB magnitude of . The inferred distance, including the uncertainty in the absolute calibration, is D TRGB = 20.0 ± 1.6 Mpc. The TRGB distance of NGC 1052-DF4 is consistent with the previously determined surface brightness fluctuation distance of D SBF = 18.7 ± 1.7 Mpc to NGC 1052-DF2 and is consistent with the distance of the bright elliptical galaxy NGC 1052. We conclude that the unusual properties of these galaxies cannot be explained by distance errors.

Distance Measurements to Parent Galaxies of SNIa by the Tip of the Red-Giant Branch

Abstract—We use the archival data obtained with the Hubble space telescope to measure distances by the tip of the red-giant branch (TRGB) method to SNIa parent galaxies. Our sample consists of four galaxies: NGC2841, NGC4496A, NGC4535, and NGC4527. For three of them, we were able to determine only the lower bounds of the distance. For the galaxy NGC4527, we estimated the TRGB distance modulus: (m − M)0 = 30m.56 ± 0m.09. Combining our measurements with the published data, we compared the supernova distance moduli using the MLCS2k2 method and the host galaxies with the TRGB method. SNIa distance moduli show systematically higher value at 0m.15–0m.18 relative to the scale of the TRGB distances. This corresponds to overestimation of the luminosity of supernovae with the MLCS2k2 method. We estimated the luminosity of supernovae at the brightness maximum as MV = −19m.33 ± 0m.03 which allows one to accept the following Hubble constant: H0 = 70.4 ± 1.0 km s−1 Mpc−1.

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. VIII. An Independent Determination of the Hubble Constant Based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch*

Abstract We present a new and independent determination of the local value of the Hubble constant based on a calibration of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) applied to Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We find a value of H 0 = 69.8 ± 0.8 (±1.1% stat) ± 1.7 (±2.4% sys) km s−1 Mpc−1. The TRGB method is both precise and accurate and is parallel to but independent of the Cepheid distance scale. Our value sits midway in the range defined by the current Hubble tension. It agrees at the 1.2σ level with that of the Planck Collaboration et al. estimate and at the 1.7σ level with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) SHoES measurement of H 0 based on the Cepheid distance scale. The TRGB distances have been measured using deep HST Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of galaxy halos. The zero-point of the TRGB calibration is set with a distance modulus to the Large Magellanic Cloud of 18.477 ± 0.004 (stat) ± 0.020 (sys) mag, based on measurement of 20 late-type detached eclipsing binary stars, combined with an HST parallax calibration of a 3.6 μm Cepheid Leavitt law based on Spitzer observations. We anchor the TRGB distances to galaxies that extend our measurement into the Hubble flow using the recently completed Carnegie Supernova Project I ( CSP-I ) sample containing about 100 well-observed SNe Ia . There are several advantages of halo TRGB distance measurements relative to Cepheid variables; these include low halo reddening, minimal effects of crowding or blending of the photometry, only a shallow (calibrated) sensitivity to metallicity in the I band, and no need for multiple epochs of observations or concerns of different slopes with period. In addition, the host masses of our TRGB host-galaxy sample are higher, on average, than those of the Cepheid sample, better matching the range of host-galaxy masses in the CSP-I distant sample and reducing potential systematic effects in the SNe Ia measurements.

A rogues gallery of Andromeda’s dwarf galaxies – II. Precise distances to 17 faint satellites

ABSTRACT We present new horizontal branch (HB) distance measurements to 17 of the faintest known M31 satellites (−6 ≲ MV ≲ −13) based on deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. The colour–magnitude diagrams extend ∼1–2 mag below the HB, which provides for well-defined HBs, even for faint galaxies in which the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) is sparsely populated. We determine distances across the sample to an average precision of 4 per cent (∼30 kpc at 800 kpc). We find that the majority of these galaxies are in good agreement, though slightly farther (0.1–0.2 mag) when compared to recent ground-based TRGB distances. Two galaxies (And IX and And XVII) have discrepant HST and ground-based distances by ∼0.3 mag (∼150 kpc), which may be due to contamination from Milky Way foreground stars and/or M31 halo stars in sparsely populated TRGB regions. We use the new distances to update the luminosities and structural parameters for these 17 M31 satellites. The new distances do not substantially change the spatial configuration of the M31 satellite system. We comment on future prospects for precise and accurate HB distances for faint galaxies in the Local Group and beyond.