| Authors | PietrzyÅski, Grzegorz; Gieren, Wolfgang; Szewczyk, Olaf; Walker, Alistair; Rizzi, Luca; Bresolin, Fabio; Kudritzki, Rolf-Peter; Nalewajko, Krzysztof; Storm, Jesper; Dall'Ora, Massimo; Ivanov, Valentin |
| Abstract | We have obtained single-phase near-infrared magnitudes in the J and K bands for a sample of 78 RR Lyrae stars in the Sculptor dSph galaxy. Applying different theoretical and empirical calibrations of the period-luminosity-metallicity relation for RR Lyrae stars in the infrared, we find consistent results and obtain a true, reddening-corrected distance modulus of 19.67 ± 0.02 (statistical) ± 0.12 (systematic) mag for Sculptor from our data. This distance value is consistent with the value of 19.68 ± 0.08 mag which we obtain from earlier V-band data of RR Lyrae stars in Sculptor, and the V magnitude metallicity calibration of Sandage. It is also in very good agreement with the results obtained by Rizzi based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB, 19.64 ± 0.08 mag) and horizontal branch (HB, 19.66 ± 0.15 mag). Based on observations obtained with the ESO NTT for programme 074.D-0318(B). |
