Related papers: Towards Precision Cosmology With Improved PNLF Dis…
We determine the distance to 38 clusters of galaxies in the redshift range 0.14 < z < 0.89 using X-ray data from Chandra and Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory and the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland…
We present a new optical luminosity-HI mass bivariate luminosity function (BLF) based on HI line observations from the Nancay Interstellar Baryons Legacy Extragalactic Survey (NIBLES). NIBLES sources lie within the local universe (900 $\leq…
We present an empirical method which uses visual band light curve shapes (LCS) to estimate the luminosity of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia). This method is first applied to a ``training set'' of 8 SN Ia light curves with independent distance…
Non-zero neutrino mass would affect the evolution of the Universe in observable ways, and a strong constraint on the mass can be achieved using combinations of cosmological data sets. We focus on the power spectrum of cosmic microwave…
We investigate how a different calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity (PL) relation taking into account the metallicity corrections, affects the absolute magnitude calibration of Supernovae (SNe) Ia and, in turn, the determination of…
We present an improved measurement of the Hubble constant (H_0) using the 'inverse distance ladder' method, which adds the information from 207 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) at redshift 0.018 < z < 0.85 to…
In this paper, we make a comprehensive determination of the Hubble constant $H_0$ by using two parameters - the B-V color and the rate of decline $\Delta m_{15}$ - to simultaneously standardize the luminosities of all nearby…
As the second step in our investigation of the mass-to-light ratio of spiral disks, we present the results of a spectroscopic survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) in five nearby, low-inclination galaxies: IC 342, M74 (NGC 628), M83 (NGC 5236),…
We review the use of Cepheids as distance indicators with particular emphasis on the methods which have been applied to HST observations of Cepheids. The calibration of the period-luminosity relations is examined in detail and we identify…
We have developed a new procedure for the generation of a planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF), improving on previous work. The procedure is based, as before, on an exponential central star mass distribution, on H-burning post-AGB…
In a recent paper, we investigated possible systematic uncertainties related to the Cepheid color-luminosity calibration method and their influence on the tension between the Hubble constant as inferred from distances to Type Ia supernovae…
The relatively red wavelength range (4800-9300{\AA}) of the VLT Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) limits which metallicity diagnostics can be used; in particular excluding those requiring the [O ii]{\lambda}{\lambda}3726,29 doublet.…
New distances, larger than previous ones, have been obtained for M 31 and M 81 based on the geometrical zero-point of the Cepheid Period-luminosity relation provided by the HIPPARCOS satellite. By combining them with independent…
The ongoing discrepancy in the Hubble constant ($H_0$) estimates obtained through local distance ladder methods and early universe observations poses a significant challenge to the $\Lambda$CDM model, suggesting potential new physics. Type…
We propose a new Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF) that includes two populations in the distribution. Our PNLF is a direct extension of the canonical function proposed by Jacoby et al. (1987), in order to avoid problems related…
We measured infrared surface brightness fluctuation (SBF) distances to an isotropically-distributed sample of 16 distant galaxies with redshifts reaching 10,000 km/s using the near-IR camera and multi-object spectrometer (NICMOS) on the…
Recent determination of the Hubble constant via Cepheid-calibrated supernovae by \citet{riess_2.4_2016} (R16) find $\sim 3\sigma$ tension with inferences based on cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization measurements from…
We determine the Hubble constant $H_0$ precisely ($2.3\%$ uncertainty) in a manner independent of cosmological model through Gaussian process regression, using strong lensing and supernova data. Strong gravitational lensing of a variable…
I review the current state of determinations of the Hubble constant, which gives the length scale of the Universe by relating the expansion velocity of objects to their distance. There are two broad categories of measurements. The first…
The Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) is a large integral field unit mounted on the ESO Very Large Telescope. Its spatial (60 arcsecond field) and wavelength (4800-9300A) coverage is well suited to detailed imaging spectroscopy of…