arXiv subjects

Victoria Scowcroft

Publications and source records attributed to Victoria Scowcroft.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Near-IR CO and CN in classical Cepheids

We present medium resolution near-infrared spectral measurements of the carbon monoxide (CO) and the cyano radical (CN) features in 12 Galactic classical Cepheids. The pulsation periods of our sample range from 5.5 to 69 days, and the stars studied each had five or more near-IR spectral observations. The CO and CN measurements were used to probe CNO abundances of these stars, and elemental abundance values from the literature were used to identify the trends of [C/N] and [O/N] with CN and CO. To put these measurements in context, we performed stellar atmosphere fitting to obtain estimates of stellar parameters, with a primary focus on effective temperature. Our measurements and temperature estimates show that CN is significantly affected by dredge-up of processed material. We provide discussion as to the potential nature of the recently confirmed classical Cepheid, ET~Vul, and connect our near-infrared CO measurements to the mid-infrared period-colour-metallicity relation.

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arXiv2024

Changing CO Bands in Near-IR Spectra of CP Cephei

We present time-series near-infrared spectra for the classical Cepheid, CP Cephei, from the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5-m telescope and near-infrared spectrograph, TripleSpec, at Apache Point Observatory, NM, USA. Spectral observations were made at nine points through the minimum and partway up the ascending portion of the optical light curve for the star. Carbon monoxide (CO) was detected in absorption in the 2.3-$\mu$m region for each observation. We measured the strength of CO absorption using the 2-0 band head in the feature for each observation and confirm that the CO varies with pulsation. We show that these measurements follow the $(J-K)$ colour curve, confirming that temperature drives the destruction of CO. By obtaining convolved filter magnitudes from the spectral data we found that the effect of the CO feature on $K$ magnitudes is small, unlike the CO feature in the mid-infrared at 4.5-$\mu$m. The dissociation of CO in the near-infrared spectra tracks with the effect seen in the mid-infrared photometric measurements of a similar Galactic Cepheid. Confirmation of the varying CO feature illustrates the need for further investigations into the related mid-infrared period-colour-metallicity relation in order to address the impact of Cepheid metallicities on the Hubble tension.

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arXiv2020

The mid-infrared Leavitt Law for Classical Cepheids in the Magellanic Clouds

The Cepheid Leavitt Law (LL), also known as the Period-Luminosity relation, is a crucial tool for assembling the cosmic distance ladder. By combining data from the OGLE-IV catalogue with mid-infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have determined the $3.6$ $μ$m and $4.5$ $μ$m LLs for the Magellanic Clouds using around 5000 fundamental-mode Classical Cepheids. Mean magnitudes were determined using a Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) template fitting procedure, with template light curves constructed from a subsample of these Cepheids with fully-phased, well-sampled light curves. The dependence of the Large Magellanic Cloud LL coefficients on various period cuts was tested, in addition to the linearity of the relationship. The zero point of the LL was calibrated using the parallaxes of Milky Way Cepheids from the Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia Data Release 2. Our final calibrated relations are $M_{[3.6]} = -3.246(\pm 0.008)(\log(P)-1.0)-5.784(\pm 0.030)$ and $M_{[4.5]} = -3.162(\pm 0.008)(\log(P)-1.0)-5.751(\pm 0.030)$.

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arXiv2020

3D maps of the Magellanic Clouds using Classical Cepheids

Variable stars have been used for over one hundred years as probes for determining astronomical distances; these distances can be used to map the three-dimensional (3D) structure of nearby galaxies. Exploiting the effect that moving to the mid-infrared has on Cepheid magnitudes and light curves, we can now map our nearest galaxies in 3D at fidelities never before achievable. Combining data from the OGLE-IV catalogue with mid-infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope, around 5000 fundamental mode Cepheids are being used to trace the 3D structure of the Magellanic Clouds. An automated photometry pipeline has been developed to obtain precise mean magnitudes and light curves for Cepheids in the Magellanic System, which in turn produces distance measurements for individual Cepheids accurate to 5%. The resulting detailed maps are being used to probe the geometric and chemical structure of the Magellanic Clouds, as well as their interaction and dynamical histories. Initial results from this project are discussed and the future inclusion of RR Lyrae stars to trace the old stellar population of the system is described.

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arXiv2019

Standard Galactic Field RR Lyrae II: A Gaia DR2 calibration of the period-Wesenheit-metallicity relation

RR Lyrae stars have long been popular standard candles, but significant advances in methodology and technology have been made in recent years to increase their precision as distance indicators. We present multi-wavelength (optical $UBVR_cI_c$ and Gaia $G, BP, RP$; near-infrared $JHK_s$; mid-infrared $[3.6], [4.5]$) period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ), period-Wesenheit-metallicity (PWZ) relations, calibrated using photometry obtained from The Carnegie RR Lyrae Program and parallaxes from the Gaia second data release for 55 Galactic field RR Lyrae stars. The metallicity slope, which has long been predicted by theoretical relations, can now be measured in all passbands. The scatter in the PLZ relations is on the order of 0.2 mag, and is still dominated by uncertainties in the parallaxes. As a consistency check of our PLZ relations, we also measure the distance modulus to the globular cluster M4, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and our results are in excellent agreement with estimates from previous studies.

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arXiv2019

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. VII. The Distance to M101 via the Optical Tip of the Red Giant Branch Method

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) is building a direct path to the Hubble constant (H0) using Population II stars as the calibrator of the SN Ia-based distance scale. This path to calibrate the SN Ia is independent of the systematics in the traditional Cepheid-based technique. In this paper, we present the distance to M101, the host to SN2011fe, using the I-band tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) based on observations from the ACS/WFC instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The CCHP targets the halo of M101 where there is little to no host-galaxy dust, the red giant branch is isolated from nearly all other stellar populations, and there is virtually no source confusion or crowding at the magnitude of the tip. Applying the standard procedure for the TRGB method from the other works in the CCHP series, we find a foreground-extinction-corrected M101 distance modulus of {μ_0}=29.07+/-0.04(stat)+/-0.05(sys) mag, which corresponds to a distance of D=6.52+/-0.12(stat)+/-0.15(sys) Mpc. This result is consistent with several recent Cepheid-based determinations, suggesting agreement between Population I and II distance scales for this nearby SN Ia-host galaxy. We further analyze four archival datasets for M101 that have targeted its outer disk to argue that targeting in the stellar halo provides much more reliable distance measurements from the TRGB method due to the combination of multiple structural components and heavily population contamination. Application of the TRGB in complex regions will have sources of uncertainty not accounted for in commonly used uncertainty measurement techniques.

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arXiv2018

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program: Calibration of the Near-Infrared RR Lyrae Period-Luminosity Relation With HST

We present photometry of 30 Galactic RR Lyrae variables taken with HST WFC3/IR for the Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. These measurements form the base of the distance ladder measurements that comprise a pure Population II base to a measurement of Ho at an accuracy of 3%. These data are taken with the same instrument and filter (F160W) as our observations of RR Lyrae stars in external galaxies so as to to minimize sources of systematic error in our calibration of the extragalactic distance scale. We calculate mean magnitudes based on one to three measurements for each RR Lyrae star using star-by-star templates generated from densely time-sampled data at optical and mid-infrared wavelengths. We use four RR Lyrae stars from our sample with well-measured HST parallaxes to determine a zero point. This zero point will soon be improved with the large number of precise parallaxes to be provided by Gaia. We also provide preliminary calibration with the TGAS & Gaia DR2 data, and all three zero points are in agreement, to within their uncertainties.

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arXiv2018

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. IV. The Distances to NGC 4424, NGC 4526, and NGC 4536 via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) is undertaking a re-calibration of the extragalactic distance scale, using Type Ia supernovae that are tied to Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances to local galaxies. We present here deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS/WFC imaging of the resolved stellar populations in the metal-poor halos of the SN Ia host galaxies NGC 4424, NGC 4526, and NGC 4536. These three Virgo constellation galaxies are prime targets for calibrating the extragalactic distance scale given their relative proximity in the local Universe and their low line-of-sight reddenings. Anchoring the TRGB zero-point to the geometric distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud via detached eclipsing binaries, we measure extinction-corrected distance moduli of 31.00 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.06 (sys) mag, 30.98 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.06 (sys) mag, and 30.99 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.06 (sys) mag for NGC 4424, NGC 4526, and NGC 4536, respectively, or 15.8 +/- 0.2 (stat) +/- 0.4 (sys) Mpc, 15.7 +/- 0.2 (stat) +/- 0.4 (sys) Mpc, and 15.8 +/- 0.2 (stat) +/- 0.4 (sys) Mpc. For these three galaxies, the distances are the first based on the TRGB, and for NGC 4424 and NGC 4526, they are the highest precision distances published to date, each measured to 3%. Finally, we report good agreement between our TRGB distances and the available Cepheid distances for NGC 4424 and NGC 4536, demonstrating consistency between the distance scales currently derived from stars of Population I and II.

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arXiv2018

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. V. The Distances to NGC 1448 and NGC 1316 via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program (CCHP) is re-calibrating the extragalactic SN Ia distance scale using exclusively Population II stars. This effort focuses on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) method, whose systematics are entirely independent of the Population I Cepheid-based determinations that have long served as calibrators for the SN Ia distance scale. We present deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the low surface-density and low line-of-sight reddening halos of two galaxies, NGC 1448 and NGC 1316, each of which have been hosts to recent SN Ia events. Provisionally anchoring the TRGB zero-point to the geometric distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud derived from detached eclipsing binaries, we measure extinction-corrected distance moduli of 31.23 +/-0.04 (stat) +/- 0.06 (sys) mag for NGC 1448 and 31.37 +/- 0.04 (stat) and +/- 0.06 (sys) mag for NGC 1316, respectively, giving metric distances of 17.7 +/- 0.3 (stat) +/- 0.5 (sys) Mpc, and 18.8 +/- 0.3 (stat) +/- 0.5 (sys) Mpc. We find agreement between our result and the available Cepheid distance for NGC 1448; for NGC 1316, where there are relatively few published distances based on direct measurements, we find that our result is consistent with the published SN Ia distances whose absolute scales are set from other locally-determined methods such as Cepheids. For NGC 1448 and NGC 1316, our distances are some of the most precise (and systematically accurate) measurements with errors at 1.7 (2.8) % and 1.6 (2.7) % levels, respectively.

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arXiv2018

SMHASH: A new mid-infrared RR Lyrae distance determination for the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxy Sculptor

We present a new distance estimation for the Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite Sculptor obtained from multi-epoch mid-infrared observations of RR Lyrae stars. The 3.6 μm observations have been acquired with the Infrared Array Camera on board the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of the SMHASH Program. Mid-infrared light curves for 42 RRL were obtained, from which we measured Sculptor's distance modulus to be μ = 19.60 $\pm$ 0.02 (statistical) $\pm$ 0.04 (photometric) mag (with $σ_{sys}=$ = 0.09 mag), using the 3.6 μm empirical period-luminosity relations derived from the Galactic globular cluster M4, or μ = 19.57 $\pm$ 0.02 (statistical) $\pm$ 0.04 (photometric) mag (with $σ_{sys}=$ = 0.11 mag) using empirical relations in the same passband recently derived from the Large Magellanic Cloud globular cluster Reticulum. Both these measurements are in good agreement with values presented in previous works with Sculptor RR Lyrae stars in optical bands, and are also consistent with recent near-infrared RR Lyrae results. Best agreement with the literature is found for the latter modulus which is equivalent to a distance of d = 82 $\pm$ 1 (statistical) $\pm$ 2 (photometric) kpc (with $σ_{sys}=$ = 4 kpc). Finally, using a subsample of RR Lyrae stars with spectroscopic metallicities, we demonstrate that these distance estimates are not affected by metallicity effects.

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arXiv2018

The Carnegie RR Lyrae Program: Mid-infrared Period-Luminosity relations of RR Lyrae stars in Reticulum

We analysed 30 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) globular cluster Reticulum that were observed in the 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m passbands with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on board of the Spitzer Space Telescope. We derived new mid-infrared (MIR) period-luminosity PL relations. The zero points of the PL relations were estimated using the trigonometric parallaxes of five bright Milky Way (MW) RRLs measured with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and, as an alternative, we used the trigonometric parallaxes published in the first Gaia data release (DR1) which were obtained as part of the Tycho-Gaia Astrometric Solution (TGAS) and the parallaxes of the same stars released with the second Gaia data release (DR2). We determined the distance to Reticulum using our new MIR PL relations and found that distances calibrated on the TGAS and DR2 parallaxes are in a good agreement and, generally, smaller than distances based on the HST parallaxes, although they are still consistent within the respective errors. We conclude that Reticulum is located ~3 kpc closer to us than the barycentre of the LMC.

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arXiv2018

The Near-Infrared Tip of the Red Giant Branch. I. A Calibration in the Isolated Dwarf Galaxy IC 1613

Based on observations from the \emph{FourStar} near-infrared camera on the 6.5m Baade-Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile, we present calibrations of the $JHK$ luminosities of stars defining the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the halo of the Local Group dwarf galaxy IC 1613. We employ metallicity-independent (rectified) T-band magnitudes---constructed using $J,H$ and $K$-band magnitudes and both $(J-H)~ \& ~(J-K)$ colors in order to flatten the upward-sloping red giant branch tips as otherwise seen in their apparent color-magnitude diagrams. We describe and quantify the advantages of working at these particular near-infrared wavelengths, which are applicable to both \emph{HST} and \emph{JWST}. We also note that these same wavelengths can be accessed from the ground for an eventual tie-in to \emph{Gaia} for absolute astrometry and parallaxes to calibrate the intrinsic luminosity of the TRGB. Adopting the color terms derived from the IC 1613 data, as well as the zero-points from a companion study of the Large Magellanic Cloud whose distance is anchored to the geometric distances of detached eclipsing binaries, we find a true distance modulus of 24.32 $\pm$ 0.02~ (statistical) $\pm$ 0.06~mag (systematic) for IC 1613, which compares favorably with the recently published multi-wavelength, multi-method consensus modulus of 24.30 $\pm$ 0.05~mag by Hatt et al. (2017).

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arXiv2017

SMHASH: Anatomy of the Orphan Stream using RR Lyrae stars

Stellar tidal streams provide an opportunity to study the motion and structure of the disrupting galaxy as well as the gravitational potential of its host. Streams around the Milky Way are especially promising as phase space positions of individual stars will be measured by ongoing or upcoming surveys. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to accurately assess distances to stars farther than 10 kpc from the Sun, where we have the poorest knowledge of the Galaxy's mass distribution. To address this we present observations of 32 candidate RR Lyrae stars in the Orphan tidal stream taken as part of the Spitzer Merger History and Shape of the Galactic Halo (SMHASH) program. The extremely tight correlation between the periods, luminosities, and metallicities of RR Lyrae variable stars in the Spitzer IRAC $\mathrm{3.6 μm}$ band allows the determination of precise distances to individual stars; the median statistical distance uncertainty to each RR Lyrae star is $2.5\%$. By fitting orbits in an example potential we obtain an upper limit on the mass of the Milky Way interior to 60 kpc of $\mathrm{5.6_{-1.1}^{+1.2}\times 10^{11}\ M_\odot}$, bringing estimates based on the Orphan Stream in line with those using other tracers. The SMHASH data also resolve the stream in line--of--sight depth, allowing a new perspective on the internal structure of the disrupted dwarf galaxy. Comparing with N--body models we find that the progenitor had an initial dark halo mass of approximately $\mathrm{3.2 \times 10^{9}\ M_\odot}$, placing the Orphan Stream's progenitor amongst the classical dwarf spheroidals.

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arXiv2017

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. II. The Distance to IC 1613: The Tip of the Red Giant Branch and RR Lyrae Period-Luminosity Relations

IC 1613 is an isolated dwarf galaxy within the Local Group. Low foreground and internal extinction, low metallicity, and low crowding make it an invaluable testbed for the calibration of the local distance ladder. We present new, high-fidelity distance estimates to IC 1613 via its Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) and its RR Lyrae (RRL) variables as part of the Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program, which seeks an alternate local route to \ho using Population II stars. We have measured a TRGB magnitude I=20.35+/-0.01 (statistical)+/-0.01 (systematic) using wide-field observations obtained from the IMACS camera on the Magellan-Baade telescope. We have further constructed optical and near-infrared RRL light curves using archival BI- and new H- band observations from the ACS/WFC and WFC3/IR instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In advance of future Gaia data releases, we set provisional values for the TRGB luminosity via the Large Magellanic Cloud and Galactic RRL zero-points via HST parallaxes. We find corresponding true distance moduli μ(TRGB)=24.30+/-0.03 (statistical)+/-0.05 (systematic) and μ(RRL)=24.28+/-0.04 (statistical+systematic). We compare our results to a body of recent publications on IC 1613 and find no statistically significant difference between the distances derived from stars of Population I and II.

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arXiv2017

On a new theoretical framework for RR Lyrae stars II: Mid--Infrared Period--Luminosity--Metallicity Relations

We present new theoretical period-luminosity-metallicity (PLZ) relations for RR Lyrae stars (RRL) at Spitzer and WISE wavelengths. The PLZ relations were derived using nonlinear, time-dependent convective hydrodynamical models for a broad range in metal abundances (Z=0.0001 to 0.0198). In deriving the light curves, we tested two sets of atmospheric models (Brott & Hauschildt 2005, Castelli & Kurucz 2003) and found no significant difference between the resulting mean magnitudes. We also compare our theoretical relations to empirical relations derived from RRL in both the field and in the globular cluster M4. Our theoretical PLZ relations were combined with multi-wavelength observations to simultaneously fit the distance modulus, mu_0, and extinction, Av, of both the individual Galactic RRL and of the cluster M4. The results for the Galactic RRL are consistent with trigonometric parallax measurements from Gaia's first data release. For M4, we find a distance modulus of $μ_0=11.257 \pm 0.035$ mag with $A_V = 1.45 \pm 0.12$ mag, which is consistent with measurements from other distance indicators. This analysis has shown that when considering a sample covering a range of iron abundances, the metallicity spread introduces a dispersion in the PL relation on the order of 0.13 mag. However, if this metallicity component is accounted for in a PLZ relation, the dispersion is reduced to ~0.02 mag at MIR wavelengths.

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arXiv2017

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. III. The Distance to NGC 1365 via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program seeks to anchor the distance scale of Type Ia supernovae via the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB). Based on deep $Hubble$ $Space$ $Telescope$ ACS/WFC imaging, we present an analysis of the TRGB for the metal-poor halo of NGC 1365, a giant spiral galaxy in the Fornax Cluster that is host to the supernova SN2012fr. We have measured its extinction-corrected TRGB magnitude to be F814W $= 27.34 \pm 0.03_{stat} \pm0.01_{sys}$ mag. In advance of future direct calibration by $Gaia$, we set a provisional TRGB luminosity via the Large Magellanic Cloud and find a true distance modulus $μ_0 = 31.29 \pm 0.04_{stat}\pm0.05_{sys}$ mag or $D = 18.1 \pm 0.3_{stat} \pm0.4_{sys}$ Mpc. This high-fidelity measurement shows excellent agreement with recent Cepheid-based distances to NGC 1365 and suggests no significant difference in the distances derived from stars of Population I and II. We revisit the error budget for the $CCHP$ path to the Hubble Constant based on this analysis of one of our most distant hosts, finding a 2.5% measurement is feasible with our current sample.

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arXiv2017

Standard Galactic Field RR Lyrae. I. Optical to Mid-infrared Phased Photometry

We present a multi-wavelength compilation of new and previously-published photometry for 55 Galactic field RR Lyrae variables. Individual studies, spanning a time baseline of up to 30 years, are self-consistently phased to produce light curves in 10 photometric bands covering the wavelength range from 0.4 to 4.5 microns. Data smoothing via the GLOESS technique is described and applied to generate high-fidelity light curves, from which mean magnitudes, amplitudes, rise-times, and times of minimum and maximum light are derived. 60,000 observations were acquired using the new robotic Three-hundred MilliMeter Telescope (TMMT), which was first deployed at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, CA, and is now permanently installed and operating at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. We provide a full description of the TMMT hardware, software, and data reduction pipeline. Archival photometry contributed approximately 31,000 observations. Photometric data are given in the standard Johnson UBV, Kron-Cousins RI, 2MASS JHK, and Spitzer [3.6] & [4.5] bandpasses.

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arXiv2016

The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program. I. An Independent Approach to the Extragalactic Distance Scale Using only Population II Distance Indicators

We present an overview of the Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program, an ongoing program to obtain a 3 per cent measurement of the Hubble constant using alternative methods to the traditional Cepheid distance scale. We aim to establish a completely independent route to the Hubble constant using RR Lyrae variables, the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB), and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). This alternative distance ladder can be applied to galaxies of any Hubble Type, of any inclination, and, utilizing old stars in low density environments, is robust to the degenerate effects of metallicity and interstellar extinction. Given the relatively small number of SNe Ia host galaxies with independently measured distances, these properties provide a great systematic advantage in the measurement of the Hubble constant via the distance ladder. Initially, the accuracy of our value of the Hubble constant will be set by the five Galactic RR Lyrae calibrators with Hubble Space Telescope Fine-Guidance Sensor parallaxes. With Gaia, both the RR Lyrae zero point and TRGB method will be independently calibrated, the former with at least an order of magnitude more calibrators and the latter directly through parallax measurement of tip red giants. As the first end-to-end "distance ladder" completely independent of both Cepheid variables and the Large Magellanic Cloud, this path to the Hubble constant will allow for the high precision comparison at each rung of the traditional distance ladder that is necessary to understand tensions between this and other routes to the Hubble constant.

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