{
  "id": "2008.11745",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2020-08-26T18:02:48.000Z",
  "updated": "2020-08-26T18:02:48.000Z",
  "title": "Near-infrared Census of RR Lyrae variables in the Messier 3 globular cluster and the Period--Luminosity Relations",
  "authors": [
    "Anupam Bhardwaj",
    "Marina Rejkuba",
    "Richard de Grijs",
    "Gregory J. Herczeg",
    "Harinder P. Singh",
    "Shashi Kanbur",
    "Chow-Choong Ngeow"
  ],
  "comment": "22 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.SR",
    "astro-ph.GA"
  ],
  "abstract": "We present new near-infrared ($JHK_s$) time-series observations of RR Lyrae variables in the Messier 3 (NGC 5272) globular cluster using the WIRCam instrument at the 3.6-m Canada France Hawaii Telescope. Our observations cover a sky area of $\\sim 21'\\times 21'$ around the cluster center and provide an average of twenty epochs of homogeneous $JHK_s$-band photometry. New homogeneous photometry is used to estimate robust mean magnitudes for 175 fundamental-mode (RRab), 47 overtone-mode (RRc), and 11 mixed-mode (RRd) variables. Our sample of 233 RR Lyrae variables is the largest thus far obtained in a single cluster with time-resolved, multi-band near-infrared photometry. Near-infrared to optical amplitude ratios for RR Lyrae in Messier 3 exhibit a systematic increase moving from RRc to short-period ($P < 0.6$~days) and long-period ($P \\gtrsim 0.6$~days) RRab variables. We derive $JHK_s$-band Period--Luminosity relations for RRab, RRc, and the combined sample of variables. Absolute calibrations based on the theoretically predicted Period--Luminosity--Metallicity relations for RR Lyrae stars yield a distance modulus, $\\mu = 15.041 \\pm 0.017~(\\textrm{statistical}) \\pm 0.036~(\\textrm{systematic})$~mag, to Messier 3. When anchored to trigonometric parallaxes for nearby RR Lyrae stars from the {\\it Hubble Space Telescope} and the {\\it Gaia} mission, our distance estimates are consistent with those resulting from the theoretical calibrations, albeit with relatively larger systematic uncertainties.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2020-08-26T18:02:48.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "rr lyrae variables",
      "globular cluster",
      "period-luminosity relations",
      "near-infrared census",
      "rr lyrae stars yield"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 22,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}