A ``Pulsational'' Distance Determination for the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present results from the theoretical modeling of the observed B,V light curves of 14 RR Lyrae stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The sample includes seven fundamental and seven first-overtone pulsators covering the metallicity range from -2.12 to -0.79 dex in [Fe/H], with an average value of -1.54 dex. Masses, intrinsic luminosities, effective temperatures, and reddenings were derived by fitting high-accuracy multiband light curves available for these RR Lyrae stars to nonlinear convective pulsation models. Individual distance moduli were determined for each variable and lead to an average distance modulus for the Large Magellanic Cloud of μ₀=18.54+/-0.02 (σ=0.09 mag, standard deviation of the average), in good agreement with the ``long'' astronomical distance scale.

Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, proposals 62.N-0802, 66.A-0485, and 68.D-0466.