| Abstract | The period-metallicity-K-band luminosity (PLK) relation for RR Lyrae stars in 15 Galactic globular clusters and in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) globular cluster Reticulum has been derived. It is based on accurate near-infrared (K) photometry combined with Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and other literature data. The PLK relation has been calibrated and compared with the previous empirical and theoretical determinations in literature. The zero point of the absolute calibration has been obtained from the K magnitude of RR Lyr whose distance modulus has been measured via trigonometric parallax with Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Using this relation, we obtain a distance modulus to the LMC of (m - M)0 = 18.54 +/- 0.15 mag, in good agreement with recent determinations based on the analysis of Cepheid variable stars. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory within the observing programs 49.5-0021, 51.5-0024, 59.E-0340, 64.N-0038, 68.D-0287 and at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. E-mail: [email protected] (AS) |
