A Bayesian approach to locating the red giant branch tip magnitude. I.

From National Research Council Canada

DOI	Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/740/2/69
Author	Search for: Conn, A. R.; Search for: Lewis, G. F.; Search for: Ibata, R. A.; Search for: Parker, Q. A.; Search for: Zucker, D. B.; Search for: McConnachie, A. W.¹; Search for: Martin, N. F.; Search for: Irwin, M. J.; Search for: Tanvir, N.; Search for: Fardal, M. A.; Search for: Ferguson, A. M. N.
Affiliation	National Research Council of Canada. NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics
Format	Text, Article
Subject	galaxies: general; galaxies: stellar content; local group
Abstract	We present a new approach for identifying the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) which, as we show, works robustly even on sparsely populated targets. Moreover, the approach is highly adaptable to the available data for the stellar population under study, with prior information readily incorporable into the algorithm. The uncertainty in the derived distances is also made tangible and easily calculable from posterior probability distributions. We provide an outline of the development of the algorithm and present the results of tests designed to characterize its capabilities and limitations. We then apply the new algorithm to three M31 satellites: Andromeda I, Andromeda II, and the fainter Andromeda XXIII, using data from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS), and derive their distances as 731((-4)-17)((+5)+18) kpc, 634((-2)-14)((+2)+15) kpc, and 733((-11)-22)((+13)+23) kpc, respectively, where the errors appearing in parentheses are the components intrinsic to the method, while the larger values give the errors after accounting for additional sources of error. These results agree well with the best distance determinations in the literature and provide the smallest uncertainties to date. This paper is an introduction to the workings and capabilities of our new approach in its basic form, while a follow-up paper shall make full use of the method's ability to incorporate priors and use the resulting algorithm to systematically obtain distances to all of M31's satellites identifiable in the PAndAS survey area.
Publication date	2011-09-30
Publisher	American Astronomical Society IOP Publishing
In	The Astrophysical Journal 740, no. 2: 69-1–69-11.
Language	English
Peer reviewed	Yes
NPARC number	19809249
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Record identifier	0a910798-2982-4e01-a500-aa25a20e6c76
Record created	2012-04-13
Record modified	2020-04-21

Date modified:: 2024-07-17