Related papers: The Mira Distance Ladder
We obtained a total of 20 near-infrared K-band spectro-interferometric snapshot observations of the Mira variables o Cet, R Leo, R Aqr, X Hya, W Vel, and R Cnc with a spectral resolution of about 1500. We compared observed flux and…
We give an overview of the current understanding of Type Ia supernovae relevant for their use as cosmological distance indicators. We present the physical basis to understand their homogeneity of the observed light curves and spectra and…
This paper introduces a statistical treatment to use Cepheid variable stars as distance indicators. The expansion rate of the Universe is also studied here through deriving the value of the Hubble constant H0. A Gaussian function…
We report a result of our near-infrared repeated observations of Mira variables in the globular clusters NGC 6388 and 6441. These two clusters are known as peculiar clusters with blue horizontal branch stars and RR Lyr variables which are…
The 3.6 and 4.5 micron characteristics of AGB variables in the LMC and IC1613 are discussed. For C-rich Mira variables there is a very clear period-luminosity-colour relation, where the [3.6]-[4.5] colour is associated with the amount of…
New Hubble Space Telescope observations of Cepheid variable stars in the nearby galaxy M96 give a distance to the host galaxy group, Leo-I, of 11.6+/-0.8 Mpc. This value, used in conjunction with several reliable secondary indicators of…
The status of the determination of the Hubble constant is reviewed, setting out the evidence for the long distance scale with H_0=55+/-5. In parallel, various precepts said to favor the short distance scale with H_0>70 are discussed. The…
We present recent results concerning distance determinations based on the two most popular primary distance indicators, namely classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae. We discuss the problems affecting the Cepheid distance scale, and in particular…
Different measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_{0}$) are not consistent and a tension between the CMB based methods and cosmic distance ladder based methods has been observed. Measurements from various distance based methods are also…
We are conducting a long-term photometric survey of the nearby galaxy M33 to discover Cepheids, eclipsing binaries, and long-period variables. The dataset combines previously-obtained optical images from the DIRECT project with new…
The Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) provides a luminous standard candle for constructing distance ladders to measure the Hubble constant. In practice its measurements via edge-detection response (EDR) are complicated by the apparent…
The Hubble constant ($H_0$) estimated from the local Cepheid-supernova (SN) distance ladder is in 3-$\sigma$ tension with the value extrapolated from cosmic microwave background (CMB) data assuming the standard cosmological model. Whether…
We present final results of a program for the determination of the Hubble constant based on the calibration of the Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB). We report TRGB distances to three SN Ia host…
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…
Local measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_0$) based on Cepheids e Type Ia supernova differ by $\approx 5 \sigma$ from the estimated value of $H_0$ from Planck CMB observations under $\Lambda$CDM assumptions. In order to better…
Type II Cepheids (T2C) are less frequently used counterparts of classical Cepheids which provide the primary calibration of the distance ladder for measuring $H_0$ in the local Universe. In the era of the Hubble Tension, T2C variables with…
The use of Type Ia supernovae as distance indicators led to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe a decade ago. Now that large second generation surveys have significantly increased the size and quality of the…
The absolute K magnitudes and kinematic parameters of about 350 oxygen-rich Long-Period Variable stars are calibrated, by means of an up-to-date maximum-likelihood method, using Hipparcos parallaxes and proper motions together with radial…
The time variation in the water-vapour bands in oxygen-rich Mira variables has been investigated using multi-epoch ISO/SWS spectra of four Mira variables in the 2.5-4.0 micron region. All four stars show H2O bands in absorption around…
We comprehensively study the variability of Miras in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by simultaneous analysing light curves in 14 bands in the range of 0.5$-$24 microns. We model over 20-years-long, high cadence $I$-band light curves…