First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972
The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method is a standard candle that leverages the constant luminosities of color-selected, carbon-rich AGB stars, measured in the near-infrared at 1.2 μ m. The Chicago-Carnegie Hubble Program has obtained JWST imaging of the SN Ia host galaxies NGC 7250, NGC...
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| Format: | Article |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad12c7 |
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| author | Abigail J. Lee Wendy L. Freedman In Sung Jang Barry F. Madore Kayla A. Owens |
| author_facet | Abigail J. Lee Wendy L. Freedman In Sung Jang Barry F. Madore Kayla A. Owens |
| author_sort | Abigail J. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method is a standard candle that leverages the constant luminosities of color-selected, carbon-rich AGB stars, measured in the near-infrared at 1.2 μ m. The Chicago-Carnegie Hubble Program has obtained JWST imaging of the SN Ia host galaxies NGC 7250, NGC 4536, and NGC 3972. With these observations, the JAGB method can be studied for the first time using JWST. Lee et al. demonstrated the JAGB magnitude is optimally measured in the outer disks of galaxies, because in the inner regions the JAGB magnitude can vary significantly due to a confluence of reddening, blending, and crowding effects. However, determining where the “outer disk” lies can be subjective. Therefore, we introduce a novel method for systematically selecting the outer disk. In a given galaxy, the JAGB magnitude is first separately measured in concentric regions, and the “outer disk” is then defined as the first radial bin where the JAGB magnitude stabilizes to a few hundredths of a magnitude. After successfully employing this method in our JWST galaxy sample, we find the JAGB stars are well segregated from other stellar populations in color–magnitude space, and have observed dispersions about their individual F115W modes of σ _N7250 = 0.32 mag, σ _N4536 = 0.34 mag, and σ _N3972 = 0.35 mag. These measured dispersions are similar to the scatter measured for the JAGB stars in the LMC using 2MASS data ( σ = 0.33 mag). In conclusion, the JAGB stars as observed with JWST clearly demonstrate their considerable power both as high-precision extragalactic distance indicators and as SN Ia supernova calibrators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:56:58Z |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:56:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-269b4abd4ff3421ab82e612d1aad53462024-01-19T15:19:02ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01961113210.3847/1538-4357/ad12c7First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972Abigail J. Lee0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5865-0220Wendy L. Freedman1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3431-9135In Sung Jang2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2502-0070Barry F. Madore3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1576-1676Kayla A. Owens4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3339-8820Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; abbyl@uchicago.edu; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; abbyl@uchicago.edu; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; abbyl@uchicago.edu; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; abbyl@uchicago.edu; Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA ; abbyl@uchicago.edu; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USAThe J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method is a standard candle that leverages the constant luminosities of color-selected, carbon-rich AGB stars, measured in the near-infrared at 1.2 μ m. The Chicago-Carnegie Hubble Program has obtained JWST imaging of the SN Ia host galaxies NGC 7250, NGC 4536, and NGC 3972. With these observations, the JAGB method can be studied for the first time using JWST. Lee et al. demonstrated the JAGB magnitude is optimally measured in the outer disks of galaxies, because in the inner regions the JAGB magnitude can vary significantly due to a confluence of reddening, blending, and crowding effects. However, determining where the “outer disk” lies can be subjective. Therefore, we introduce a novel method for systematically selecting the outer disk. In a given galaxy, the JAGB magnitude is first separately measured in concentric regions, and the “outer disk” is then defined as the first radial bin where the JAGB magnitude stabilizes to a few hundredths of a magnitude. After successfully employing this method in our JWST galaxy sample, we find the JAGB stars are well segregated from other stellar populations in color–magnitude space, and have observed dispersions about their individual F115W modes of σ _N7250 = 0.32 mag, σ _N4536 = 0.34 mag, and σ _N3972 = 0.35 mag. These measured dispersions are similar to the scatter measured for the JAGB stars in the LMC using 2MASS data ( σ = 0.33 mag). In conclusion, the JAGB stars as observed with JWST clearly demonstrate their considerable power both as high-precision extragalactic distance indicators and as SN Ia supernova calibrators.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad12c7Observational cosmologyDistance indicatorsAsymptotic giant branch starsCarbon starsGalaxy distancesJames Webb Space Telescope |
| spellingShingle | Abigail J. Lee Wendy L. Freedman In Sung Jang Barry F. Madore Kayla A. Owens First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 The Astrophysical Journal Observational cosmology Distance indicators Asymptotic giant branch stars Carbon stars Galaxy distances James Webb Space Telescope |
| title | First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 |
| title_full | First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 |
| title_fullStr | First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 |
| title_full_unstemmed | First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 |
| title_short | First JWST Observations of JAGB Stars in the SN Ia Host Galaxies: NGC 7250, NGC 4536, NGC 3972 |
| title_sort | first jwst observations of jagb stars in the sn ia host galaxies ngc 7250 ngc 4536 ngc 3972 |
| topic | Observational cosmology Distance indicators Asymptotic giant branch stars Carbon stars Galaxy distances James Webb Space Telescope |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad12c7 |
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