An Absolute Calibration of the L- sigma and L- sigma - Sigma Relations for Elliptical Galaxies and the Distance to the Virgo and Fornax Clusters
Abstract
Recent CCD photometry of the most luminous elliptical galaxies in the Virgo and Fornax Clusters is combined with available velocity dispersion data to examine the L-σ and L-σ-{SIGMA} relations. The dispersion in these relations is found to be only 0.44 and 0.28 mag, respectively. The corresponding distance uncertainties for single galaxies are 22% and 14%. As a result, a meaningful distance to the Virgo and Fornax Cluster ellipticals can be obtained using NGC 3377 and NGC 3379 as calibrators. The distance of 10.0 +/- 1.0 Mpc for these galaxies recently obtained by Ciardullo, Jacoby, and Ford provides an absolute calibration for the two distance indicators. This yields a distance of 16.7 +/- 2.7 for the Virgo Cluster core using L-σ and 14.4 +/- 1.6 Mpc using L-σ-{SIGMA}. These distances are in excellent agreement with the value of 15.6 +/- 1.5 Mpc reported by Pierce and Tully in 1988 for the Virgo Cluster spirals using an independent technique (the luminosity-line width relations) and provides further evidence for the large value of H_0_ (~80-90 km S^-1^ Mpc^-1^). The distance to the Fornax Cluster is found to be 13.5 +/- 2.2 Mpc. The relative distance for the two clusters allows a check of the Virgocentric retardation model. A peculiar velocity for the Galaxy of δV_G_ = 239 +/_- 59 km s^-1^ is found, in good agreement with previous estimates.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 1989
- DOI:
- 10.1086/185530
- Bibcode:
- 1989ApJ...344L..57P
- Keywords:
-
- Astronomical Photometry;
- Computational Astrophysics;
- Galactic Clusters;
- Astronomical Models;
- Calibrating;
- Elliptical Galaxies;
- Luminosity;
- Astrophysics;
- COSMOLOGY;
- GALAXIES: DISTANCES;
- GALAXIES: PHOTOMETRY