Related papers: Asymptotic Giant Branch Variables as Extragalactic…

Certain types of large amplitude AGB variable are proving to be powerful distance indicators that will rival Cepheids in the JWST era of high precision infrared photometry. These are predominantly found in old populations and have low mass…

AGB variables, particularly the large amplitude Mira type, are a vital step on the distance scale ladder. They will prove particularly important in the era of space telescopes and extremely large ground-based telescopes with adaptive…

We present a method to estimate distances to Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in the Galaxy, using spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in the near- and mid-infrared. By assuming that a given set of source properties (initial mass,…

We investigate techniques that can be used to determine ages of recently star forming regions during the phase dominated in the near-IR by the asymptotic giant branch stars (10^8-10^9 yrs). In particular, we present selected near-IR…

Long-period variables are bright, evolved red giant stars showing periodic photometric changes due to stellar pulsation. They follow one or more period-luminosity and period-age relations, which make them highly promising distance…

I summarize recent work comparing relative distances measured to individual galaxies with independent methods. The comparisons include: ground-based surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) and fundamental plane distances to 170 galaxies,…

An analysis of the observed characteristics of the Galactic Cepheid variables is carried out in the framework of their period-luminosity relation being used as a standard candle for distance measurement. The variation of the observed number…

Here we provide a review of Mira variables, their basic properties, and Period-Luminosity Relations with an emphasis on their role in measuring the Hubble Constant. The usage of multiple independent distance indicators and methods is…

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are good tracers of the Galactic structure. They are bright in the infrared and can therefore be detected even in the most obscured regions of the Galaxy. Maser emission from their circumstellar envelopes…

Classical Cepheid variable stars have been important indicators of extragalactic distance and Galactic evolution for over a century. The Spitzer Space Telescope has opened the possibility of extending the study of Cepheids into the mid- and…

Type II Cepheids are both useful distance indicators and tracers of old age stellar populations in their host galaxy. We summarize near-infrared observations of type II Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud and discuss the absolute…

Classical Cepheid stars have been considered since more than a century as reliable tools to estimate distances in the universe thanks to their Period-Luminosity (P-L) relationship. Moreover, they are also powerful astrophysical…

Variable stars have a unique part to play in Galactic astronomy. Among the most important of these variables are the Cepheids (types I and II), the RR Lyraes and the Miras (O- and C-rich). The current status of the basic calibration of…

Variable stars with well-calibrated period-luminosity relationships provide accurate distance measurements to nearby galaxies and are therefore a vital tool for cosmology and astrophysics. While these measurements typically rely on samples…

Context. Asymptotic giant branch stars are cool luminous evolved stars that are well observable across the Galaxy and populating Gaia data. They have complex stellar surface dynamics Aims. On the AGB star CL Lac, it has been shown that the…

In this paper we investigate the level of agreement between observations and "new" Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) models, as produced by updating the physical inputs adopted in previous stellar computations. One finds that the new physics…

With the space-borne missions CoRoT and Kepler, a large amount of asteroseismic data is now available. So-called global oscillation parameters are inferred to characterize the large sets of stars, to perform ensemble asteroseismology, and…

Six of the principal galaxy distance indicators are discussed: Cepheid variables, the Tully-Fisher relation, the Dn-sigma relation, Surface Brightness Fluctuations, Brightest Cluster Galaxies, and Type Ia Supernovae. The role they play in…

We report the result of our near-infrared survey of short-period variable stars (P<60d) in a field-of-view of 20'x30' towards the Galactic Centre. Forty-five variables are discovered and we classify the variables based on their light curve…

A general review is given of the calibration of the Cepheid distance scale, with particular reference to its use in the determination of H0. Emphasis is placed on the advantage of using a galactic calibration of the Cepheid scale, rather…