| Title | The Distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud Cluster NGC 1866 from Its Cepheid Members |
| Authors | Gieren, Wolfgang P.; Richtler, Tom; Hilker, Michael |
| Bibcode | 1994ApJ...433L..73G Search ADS ↗ |
| Abstract | We have derived distances to four Cepheid variables of similar periods (2.6-3.5 days) in the field of the young LMC cluster NGC 1866 using the visual surface brightness modification of the Baade-Wesselink method. For three of these variables, consistent distances are obtained which support their cluster membership and yield a true cluster distance modulus of 18.47 +/- 0.20 mag. The distances have been corrected for the nonsolar metallicity of -0.6 dex recently determined for NGC 1866 by Hilker et al. A fourth Cepheid, HV 12204, is shown to have a bright blue companion star which invalidates the Baade-Wesselink analysis; this Cepheid is likely to be a cluster member in a spectroscopic binary system. We determine the radii of the variables and find consistent values in the narrow range between 26 and 31 R_sun_, which agree very well with the values expected from the galactic Cepheid period-radius relation. |
| Objects | 1 Objects Search NED ↙ |
