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Blue supergiants and the zero point of the Tully-Fisher relation: a path to a new independent test of the Hubble constant

Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, Fabio Bresolin, Miguel A. Urbaneka, Eva Sextl

TL;DR

This paper evaluates whether blue supergiants, via the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship (FGLR), can independently calibrate the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) zero points and impact the inferred Hubble constant $H_0$, addressing the Hubble tension. By applying FGLR distances to calibrate the I-band and WISE W1/W2 TFRs and by examining curvature effects, the authors find zero points that are consistent with Cepheid and TRGB calibrations, despite small sample sizes. The I-band analysis yields $M_I^{b,i,k} \\approx -21.34$ mag with $\ ext{scatter} \\approx 0.50$ mag, and W1/W2 zero points are $-20.38$ mag and $-19.76$ mag, respectively, aligning with existing calibrations (K20). Using the FGLR-based I-band zero point suggests $H_0 \\approx 76 ext{--}77$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ with $\\pm 6$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ uncertainty, highlighting the method’s potential for an independent distance ladder and future reductions in uncertainties with larger BSG samples and ELT-era observations.

Abstract

Blue supergiant distances of nearby galaxies obtained with the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship are used for a measurement of the zero points of Tully-Fisher relationships at different photometric passbands. The Cousins I-band and the infrared WISE bands W1 and W2 are investigated. The results are compared with previous work using Cepheid and Tip-of-the-Red-Giant-Branch distances. No significant differences were encountered. This supports the large values of the Hubble constant greater than 73km/s/Mpc found with the Tully-Fisher distance ladder work over the last decade. Applying blue supergiant distances on the I-band Tully-Fisher relation observations yields a Hubble constant H0 = 76.2+/-6.2 km/s/Mpc. The large uncertainty is caused by the still relatively small blue supergiant galaxies sample size but will be reduced in future work.

Blue supergiants and the zero point of the Tully-Fisher relation: a path to a new independent test of the Hubble constant

TL;DR

This paper evaluates whether blue supergiants, via the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship (FGLR), can independently calibrate the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) zero points and impact the inferred Hubble constant , addressing the Hubble tension. By applying FGLR distances to calibrate the I-band and WISE W1/W2 TFRs and by examining curvature effects, the authors find zero points that are consistent with Cepheid and TRGB calibrations, despite small sample sizes. The I-band analysis yields mag with mag, and W1/W2 zero points are mag and mag, respectively, aligning with existing calibrations (K20). Using the FGLR-based I-band zero point suggests km s Mpc with km s Mpc uncertainty, highlighting the method’s potential for an independent distance ladder and future reductions in uncertainties with larger BSG samples and ELT-era observations.

Abstract

Blue supergiant distances of nearby galaxies obtained with the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship are used for a measurement of the zero points of Tully-Fisher relationships at different photometric passbands. The Cousins I-band and the infrared WISE bands W1 and W2 are investigated. The results are compared with previous work using Cepheid and Tip-of-the-Red-Giant-Branch distances. No significant differences were encountered. This supports the large values of the Hubble constant greater than 73km/s/Mpc found with the Tully-Fisher distance ladder work over the last decade. Applying blue supergiant distances on the I-band Tully-Fisher relation observations yields a Hubble constant H0 = 76.2+/-6.2 km/s/Mpc. The large uncertainty is caused by the still relatively small blue supergiant galaxies sample size but will be reduced in future work.
Paper Structure (6 sections, 5 equations, 7 figures)

This paper contains 6 sections, 5 equations, 7 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The FGLR distance determination method
  3. The I-band TFR
  4. WISE W1 and W2 TFR
  5. TFR curvature
  6. Conclusions

Figures (7)

  • Figure 1: I-band TFR of the Tully:2012 zero point calibration sample. The galaxies shown in red are the subsample for which we have determined FGLR distances.
  • Figure 2: I-band TFR of the FGLR galaxies using FGLR distance moduli for the calculation of absolute magnitudes. The green line corresponds to the zero point obtained with these galaxies. The pink dashed line is the old regression from Figure \ref{['fig:Iband_all']}. The galaxy in gray is NGC 3109. As in the work by Tully:2012 it is not used for the zero point fit.
  • Figure 3: Distance moduli obtained with the FGLR method versus the distance moduli used in Tully:2012.
  • Figure 4: WISE W1-band Tully-Fisher relation of the FGLR galaxies using FGLR distance moduli for the calculation of absolute magnitude. The green line corresponds to the zero point obtained with these galaxies. The galaxy in gray is NGC 3109. It is not used for the zero point fit.
  • Figure 5: WISE W2-band Tully-Fisher relation of the FGLR galaxies using FGLR distance moduli for the calculation of absolute magnitude. The green line corresponds to the zero point obtained with these galaxies. The galaxy in gray is NGC 3109. It is not used for the zero point fit.
  • ...and 2 more figures