Astronomy Seminar: RR Lyrae stars as distance indicators: A theoretical approach
| Date/Time: | Friday, 31 Mar 2017 from 4:10 pm to 5:10 pm |
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| Location: | Rm. 38, Physics Bldg. |
| Cost: | Free |
| Phone: | 515-294-5440 |
| Channel: | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
RR Lyrae stars can be used as distance indicators at infrared wavelengths via a period-luminosity relation, but this relation has yet to be calibrated to high precision at mid-infrared wavelengths. In order to check our understanding of these variables, we have used stellar pulsation models to derive theoretical period-luminosity relations for a variety of metal abundances. In this talk, I will present these new relations, and compare them to observations of RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic field and in the globular cluster M4.