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Title: The calibration of the WISE W1 and W2 Tully-Fisher relation

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3]; ;  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 278-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
  2. The Observatories of the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)
  3. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)
  4. Institut de Physique Nucleaire, Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, F-69100 Lyon (France)
  5. University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch 7701, Republic of South Africa (South Africa)
  6. Image Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

In order to explore local large-scale structures and velocity fields, accurate galaxy distance measures are needed. We now extend the well-tested recipe for calibrating the correlation between galaxy rotation rates and luminosities—capable of providing such distance measures—to the all-sky, space-based imaging data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1 (3.4 μm) and W2 (4.6 μm) filters. We find a correlation of line width to absolute magnitude (known as the Tully-Fisher relation, TFR) of M{sub W1}{sup b,i,k,a}=−20.35−9.56(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5) (0.54 mag rms) and M{sub W2}{sup b,i,k,a}=−19.76−9.74(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5) (0.56 mag rms) from 310 galaxies in 13 clusters. We update the I-band TFR using a sample 9% larger than in Tully and Courtois. We derive M{sub I}{sup b,i,k}=−21.34−8.95(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5) (0.46 mag rms). The WISE TFRs show evidence of curvature. Quadratic fits give M{sub W1}{sup b,i,k,a}=−20.48−8.36(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5)+3.60(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5){sup 2} (0.52 mag rms) and M{sub W2}{sup b,i,k,a}=−19.91−8.40(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5)+4.32(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5){sup 2} (0.55 mag rms). We apply an I-band –WISE color correction to lower the scatter and derive M{sub C{sub W{sub 1}}}=−20.22−9.12(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5) and M{sub C{sub W{sub 2}}}=−19.63−9.11(log W{sub mx}{sup i}−2.5) (both 0.46 mag rms). Using our three independent TFRs (W1 curved, W2 curved, and I band), we calibrate the UNION2 Type Ia supernova sample distance scale and derive H {sub 0} = 74.4 ± 1.4(stat) ± 2.4(sys) km s{sup –1} Mpc{sup –1} with 4% total error.

OSTI ID:
22365090
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 792, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English