The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST
The Virgo Cluster is the nearest substantial cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way and a cornerstone of the extragalactic distance scale. Here, we present JWST/NIRCam observations that simultaneously cover the cores and halos of 10 galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster and are designed to perform...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb399 |
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| author | Gagandeep S. Anand R. Brent Tully Yotam Cohen Edward J. Shaya Dmitry I. Makarov Lidia N. Makarova Maksim I. Chazov John P. Blakeslee Michele Cantiello Joseph B. Jensen Ehsan Kourkchi Gabriella Raimondo |
| author_facet | Gagandeep S. Anand R. Brent Tully Yotam Cohen Edward J. Shaya Dmitry I. Makarov Lidia N. Makarova Maksim I. Chazov John P. Blakeslee Michele Cantiello Joseph B. Jensen Ehsan Kourkchi Gabriella Raimondo |
| author_sort | Gagandeep S. Anand |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Virgo Cluster is the nearest substantial cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way and a cornerstone of the extragalactic distance scale. Here, we present JWST/NIRCam observations that simultaneously cover the cores and halos of 10 galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster and are designed to perform simultaneous measurements of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) and surface brightness fluctuations (SBF). Seven of the targets are within the Virgo Cluster and where we are able to resolve some of the cluster’s substructure, while an additional three provide important constraints on Virgo infall. The seven galaxies within Virgo itself all have SBF measurements from the Advanced Camera for Surveys Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS). After adjusting the ACSVCS measurements for the offset from our new JWST TRGB measurements, we determine a distance to the Virgo Cluster of d = 16.17 ± 0.25 (stat) ± 0.47 (sys) Mpc. The work presented here is part of a larger program to develop a Population II distance scale through the TRGB and SBF that is completely independent of the prominent Cepheid + Type Ia supernova ladder. The TRGB distances to the galaxies presented here, when combined with future SBF measurements, will provide a crucial step forward for determining whether or not systematic errors can explain the well-known “Hubble tension” or if there is significant evidence for cracks in the ΛCDM model. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1963b6847a8f49bbbb9771ecdaf242ee |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1963b6847a8f49bbbb9771ecdaf242ee2025-08-20T02:52:25ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198212610.3847/1538-4357/adb399The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWSTGagandeep S. Anand0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5259-2314R. Brent Tully1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9291-1981Yotam Cohen2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5487-2494Edward J. Shaya3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3234-8699Dmitry I. Makarov4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9110-3221Lidia N. Makarova5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0736-7609Maksim I. Chazov6https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4126-8924John P. Blakeslee7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5213-3548Michele Cantiello8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2072-384XJoseph B. Jensen9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8762-8906Ehsan Kourkchi10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5514-3354Gabriella Raimondo11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5577-7023Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAInstitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAAstronomy Department, University of Maryland , College Park, MD 20743, USASpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia 369167, RussiaSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia 369167, RussiaSpecial Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia 369167, RussiaNSF’s NOIRLab , 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USAINAF-Astronomical Observatory of Abruzzo , Via Maggini, 64100, Teramo, ItalyDepartment of Physics, Utah Valley University , 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058, USAInstitute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii , 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA; Department of Physics, Utah Valley University , 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058, USAINAF-Astronomical Observatory of Abruzzo , Via Maggini, 64100, Teramo, ItalyThe Virgo Cluster is the nearest substantial cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way and a cornerstone of the extragalactic distance scale. Here, we present JWST/NIRCam observations that simultaneously cover the cores and halos of 10 galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster and are designed to perform simultaneous measurements of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) and surface brightness fluctuations (SBF). Seven of the targets are within the Virgo Cluster and where we are able to resolve some of the cluster’s substructure, while an additional three provide important constraints on Virgo infall. The seven galaxies within Virgo itself all have SBF measurements from the Advanced Camera for Surveys Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS). After adjusting the ACSVCS measurements for the offset from our new JWST TRGB measurements, we determine a distance to the Virgo Cluster of d = 16.17 ± 0.25 (stat) ± 0.47 (sys) Mpc. The work presented here is part of a larger program to develop a Population II distance scale through the TRGB and SBF that is completely independent of the prominent Cepheid + Type Ia supernova ladder. The TRGB distances to the galaxies presented here, when combined with future SBF measurements, will provide a crucial step forward for determining whether or not systematic errors can explain the well-known “Hubble tension” or if there is significant evidence for cracks in the ΛCDM model.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb399Distance indicatorsElliptical galaxiesGalaxy distancesStellar distanceRed giant tipVirgo Cluster |
| spellingShingle | Gagandeep S. Anand R. Brent Tully Yotam Cohen Edward J. Shaya Dmitry I. Makarov Lidia N. Makarova Maksim I. Chazov John P. Blakeslee Michele Cantiello Joseph B. Jensen Ehsan Kourkchi Gabriella Raimondo The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST The Astrophysical Journal Distance indicators Elliptical galaxies Galaxy distances Stellar distance Red giant tip Virgo Cluster |
| title | The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST |
| title_full | The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST |
| title_fullStr | The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST |
| title_full_unstemmed | The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST |
| title_short | The TRGB–SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST |
| title_sort | trgb sbf project ii resolving the virgo cluster with jwst |
| topic | Distance indicators Elliptical galaxies Galaxy distances Stellar distance Red giant tip Virgo Cluster |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb399 |
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