Related papers: Distance Scale Zero-Points from Galactic RR Lyrae …

I review statistical parallax absolute magnitude determinations which employ data from the HIPPARCOS satellite for RR Lyrae and Cepheid variables, and for several other stellar classes. Five groups have studied the RR Lyrae stars, and the…

Infrared and optical absolute magnitudes are derived for the type II Cepheids kappa Pav and VY Pyx from revised Hipparcos parallaxes and for kappa Pav, V553 Cen and SW Tau from pulsation parallaxes. Phase-corrected JHK mags are given for…

Using the method of ``reduced parallaxes'' for the Halo RR Lyrae stars in the Hipparcos catalogue we derive a zero point of 0.77 $\pm$ 0.26 mag for an assumed slope of 0.18 in the $M_{\rm V}$-[Fe/H] relation. This is 0.28 magnitude brighter…

We present new statistical parallax solutions for the absolute magnitude and kinematics of RR Lyrae stars. New proper motion, radial velocity, and abundance data are used; the new data set is 50% larger, and of higher quality, than…

(abridged) We present new absolute trigonometric parallaxes and relative proper motions for nine Galactic Cepheid variable stars: l Car, zeta Gem, beta Dor, W Sgr, X Sgr, Y Sgr, FF Aql, T Vul, and RT Aur. We obtain these results with…

We use the method of statistical parallax to constrain the distance-scale zero points and analyze the kinematics of extensive samples of Galactic classical Cepheids, RR Lyrae type variables, and blue horizontal branch stars, which serve as…

Recent work on the luminosities of type II Cepheids (CephIIs) and RR Lyrae variables is reviewed.In the near infrared (JHKs) the CephIIs in globular clusters show a narrow, linear, period-luminosity relation over their whole period range…

Preliminary evidence is presented reaffirming that SX Phe, RR Lyrae, and Type II Cepheid variables may be characterized by a common Wesenheit period-magnitude relation, to first order. Reliable distance estimates to RR Lyrae variables and…

Gaia Data Release 1 contains parallaxes for more than 700 Galactic Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars, computed as part of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS). We have used TGAS parallaxes, along with literature ($V, I, J, {K_\mathrm{s}},…

The kinematical parameters of the local field RR Lyrae population and the zero point of the log P--<M_K> relation for these variables are inferred by applying the statistical parallax (maximum-likelihood) technique to a sample of 182 RR…

We present new parallax measurements of 7 long-period (> 10 days) Milky Way Cepheids (SS CMa, XY Car, VY Car, VX Per, WZ Sgr, X Pup and S Vul) using astrometry from spatial scanning of WFC3 on HST. Observations were obtained at 6 month…

Classical Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables are radially pulsating stars that trace young and old-age stellar populations, respectively. These classical pulsating stars are the most sensitive probes for the precision stellar astrophysics and…

We determine the period-magnitude relations of RR Lyrae stars in 13 photometric bandpasses from 0.4 to 12 {\mu}m using timeseries observations of 134 stars. The Bayesian formalism, extended from our previous work to include the effects of…

Pulsating stars, such as Cepheids, Miras, and RR Lyrae stars, are important distance indicators and calibrators of the "cosmic distance ladder", and yet their period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ) relations are still constrained using simple…

Classical double-mode pulsators (RR Lyrae stars and delta Cepheids) are important for their simultaneous pulsation in low-order radial modes. This enables us to put stringent constraints on their physical parameters. We use 30 bright…

We present an absolute parallax and relative proper motion for the fundamental distance scale calibrator, RR Lyr. We obtain these with astrometric data from FGS 3, a white-light interferometer on HST. We find $\pi_{abs} = 3.82 \pm 0.2$ mas.…

New CCD photometry of NGC 6366 has lead to the discovery of some variable stars. Two possible Anomalous Cepheids (or Pop II Cepheids), three long period variables, one SX Phe and one eclipsing binary have been found. Also a list of 10…

This paper presents results from photometric and statistical-parallax analysis of a sample of 850 field RR Lyrae (RRL) variables. The photometric and spectroscopic data for sample RRLs are obtained from (1) our new spectroscopic…

The present determination of the absolute magnitude $M_V(RR)$ of RR Lyrae stars is twofold, relying upon Hipparcos proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes separately. First, applying the statistical parallax method to the proper…

We present the results of a massive variability search based on a photometric survey of a six square degree region along the Galactic plane at ($l = 305^\circ$, $b = -0.8^\circ$) and ($l = 330^\circ$, $b = -2.5^\circ$). This survey was…