The Tully-Fisher relation : Correspondence between the Inverse and Direct approaches

In a previous paper, we have demonstrated the importance to define a statistical model describing the observed linear correlation between the absolute magnitude $M$ and the log line width distance indicator $p$ of galaxies (the Tully-Fisher relation). As long as the same statistical model is used during the calibration step of the relation and the step of the determination of the distances of galaxies, standard statistical methods such as the maximum likelihood technic permits us to derive bias free estimators of the distances of galaxies. However in practice, it is convenient to use a different statistical model for calibrating the Tully-Fisher relation (because of its robustness, the Inverse Tully-Fisher relation is prefered during this step) and for determining the distances of galaxies (the Direct Tully-Fisher relation is more accurate and robust in this case). Herein, we establish a correspondence between the Inverse and the Direct Tully-Fisher approaches. Assuming a gaussian luminosity function, we prove that the ITF and DTF models are in fact mathematically equivalent (i.e. they describe the same physical data distribution in the TF diagram). It thus turns out that as long as the calibration parameters are obtained for a given model, we can deduce the corresponding parameters of the other model. We present these formulae of correspondence and discuss their validitity for non-gaussian luminosity functions.Comment: 10 pages, uuencoded en compressed Postscript file, figures avaible under requests. To be published in A\&

On the 3D Velocity Reconstruction of Clusters of Galaxies

The problem of reconstruction of the 3D velocities of clusters of galaxies from the redshift distribution of galaxies of the cluster is formulated. Though numerical simulations show the impossibility of direct use of Ambartsumian's formula derived for the stellar systems because of the small number of objects in the clusters, an additional physical assumption on the form of the searched velocity distribution can lead to the possibility of obtaining the transverse velocity of the cluster. The accuracy of the proposed reconstruction procedure is estimated.Comment: to appear in Astrofizika, vol.40, 1997; LaTex, 4 pages, 1 figure, *.ps figure can be obtained from the author

On the motion of the Local Group and its substructures

The problem of the relative motion of the substructures of the Local Group of galaxies revealed via S-tree method, as well as of the velocity of the Local Group itself, is considered. The existence of statistically significant bulk flow of the Milky Way subsystem is shown via 3D reconstruction procedure, which uses the information on the radial velocities of the galaxies, but not on their distances. Once the bulk motion of substructures is estimated, in combination with the observed CMB dipole we also consider the mean velocity of the Local Group itself. Assigning the Local Group the mean motion of its main substructures we evaluate its peculiar velocity in Milky Way frame V(LG->MW)= (-7 \pm 303,-15 \pm 155 ,+177 \pm 144) or 178 km/s toward galactic coordinates l=245 and b=+85. Combined with CMB dipole V(MW->CMB), we obtain Local Group velocity in CMB frame: V(LG->CMB) = (-41\pm 303,-497\pm 155,445 \pm 144) or 668 km/s towards l=265 and b=42. This estimation is in good agreement, within 1 sigma level, with the estimation of Yahil et al (1977).Comment: To be published in MNRA

Cluster luminosity function and n^th ranked magnitude as a distance indicator

We define here a standard candle to determine the distance of clusters of galaxies and to investigate their peculiar velocities by using the n^{th} rank galaxy (magnitude m$_n$). We address the question of the universality of the luminosity function for a sample of 28 rich clusters of galaxies ($cz \simeq 20000 km/s$) in order to model the influence on $m_n$ of cluster richness. This luminosity function is found to be universal and the fit of a Schechter profile gives $\alpha = -1.50 \pm 0.11$ and $M_{bj}* = -19.91 \pm 0.21$ in the range [-21,-17]. The uncorrected distance indicator $m_n$ is more efficient for the first ranks n. With n=5, we have a dispersion of 0.61 magnitude for the (m$_n$,5log(cz)) relation. When we correct for the richness effect and subtract the background galaxies we reduce the uncertainty to 0.21 magnitude with n=15. Simulations show that a large part of this dispersion originates from the intrinsic scatter of the standard candle itself. These provide upper bounds on the amplitude $\sigma_v$ of cluster radial peculiar motions. At a confidence level of 90%, the dispersion is 0.13 magnitude and $\sigma_v$ is limited to 1200 km/s for our sample of clusters.Comment: 9 pages, 7 postscript figures, LateX A&A, accepted in A&

Calibration of the Tully-Fisher relation in the field

A new technique for calibrating Tully-Fisher like relations by using field galaxies is proposed. Based on a null-correlation approach (NCA), the technique is insensitive to the presence of selection effects on apparent magnitude $m$ and on log line-width distance indicator $p$. This interesting property is used for discarding near by galaxies of the observed sample. It is shown that such a subsampling allows in effect to attenuate biases on calibration parameters created by the presence of radial peculiar velocities.Comment: 20 pages, 24 figures. To appear in A&A Supplement Serie

Wavelet Analysis of Inhomogeneous Data with Application to the Cosmic Velocity Field

In this article we give an account of a method of smoothing spatial inhomogeneous data sets by using wavelet reconstruction on a regular grid in an auxilliary space onto which the original data is mapped. In a previous paper by the present authors, we devised a method for inferring the velocity potential from the radial component of the cosmic velocity field assuming an ideal sampling. Unfortunately the sparseness of the real data as well as errors of measurement require us to first smooth the velocity field as observed on a 3-dimensional support (i.e. the galaxy positions) inhomogeneously distributed throughout the sampled volume. The wavelet formalism permits us to introduce a minimal smoothing procedure that is characterized by the variation in size of the smothing window function. Moreover the output smoothed radial velocity field can be shown to correspond to a well defined theoretical quantity as long as the spatial sampling support satisfies certain criteria. We argue also that one should be very cautious when comparing the velocity potential derived from such a smoothed radial component of the velocity field with related quantities derived from other studies (e.g : of the density field).Comment: 19 pages, Latex file, figures are avaible under requests, published in Inverse Problems, 11 (1995) 76

A robust method for measuring the Hubble parameter

We obtain a robust, non-parametric, estimate of the Hubble constant from galaxy linear diameters calibrated using HST Cepheid distances. Our method is independent of the parametric form of the diameter function and the spatial distribution of galaxies and is insensitive to Malmquist bias. We include information on the galaxy rotation velocities; unlike Tully-Fisher, however, we retain a fully non-parametric treatment. We find $H_0=66\pm6$ km/s/Mpc, somewhat larger than previous results using galaxy diameters.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Cosmic Flows Workshop, Victoria B.C. Canada, July 1999, ed. S. Courteau, M. Strauss & J. Willick, ASP conf. serie

The determination of HOH_O by using the TF relation : About particular selection effects

This paper completes the statistical modeling of the Hubble flow when a Tully-Fisher type relation is used for estimating the absolute magnitude $M\approx a\,p+b$ from a line width distance indicator $p$. Our investigation is performed with the aim of providing us with a full understanding of statistical biases due to selection effects in observation, regardless of peculiar velocities of galaxies. We show that unbiased $H_{\circ}$-statistics can be obtained by means of the maximum likelihood method as long as the statistical model can be defined. We focus on the statistical models related to the Direct, resp. Inverse, Tully-Fisher relation, when selection effects on distance, resp. on $p$, are present. It turns out that the use of the Inverse relation should be preferred, according to robustness criteria. The formal results are ensured by simulations with samples which are randomly generated according to usual characteristics.Comment: 8 pages, Postscript compressed file, to be published in A\&

About the Malmquist bias in the determination of H0 and of distances of galaxies

We provide the mathematical framework which elucidates the way of using a Tully-Fisher (TF) like relation in the determination of the Hubble constant $H_0$, as well as for distances of galaxies. The methods related to the so-called Direct and Inverse TF Relations (herein DTF and ITF) are interpreted as maximum likelihood statistics. We show that, as long as the same model is used for the calibration of the TF relation and for the determination of $H_0$, we obtain a coherent Hubble's constant. The choice of the model is motivated by reasons of robustness of statistics, it depends on selection effects in observation which are present in the sample. The difference on the distance estimates when using either the ITF or the DTF model is only due to random fluctuations. It is interesting to point out that the DTF estimate does not depend on the luminosity distribution of sources. Both statistics show a correction for a bias, inadequately believed to be of Malmquist type. The repercussion of measurement errors, and additional selection effects are also analyzedComment: 37 pages,cpt-93/p.2808,latex A&A,4fig available on cpt.univ-mrs.fr directory ftp/pub/preprints/93/cosmology/93-P.280

A physical distance indicator for spiral galaxies

In this paper we derive a Tully Fisher relation from measured I band photometry and H$\alpha$ rotation curves of a large survey of southern sky spiral galaxies, obtained in Persic \& Salucci (1995) by deprojecting and folding the raw H$\alpha$ data of Mathewson, Ford \& Buchhorn (1992). We calibrate the relation by combining several of the largest clusters in the survey, using an iterative maximum likelihood procedure to account for observational selection effects and Malmquist bias. We also incorporate a simple model for the line of sight depth of each cluster. Our results indicate a Tully Fisher relation of intrinsic dispersion $\sim0.3$ mag, corresponding to a distance error dispersion of $13\%$. Application of this relation to mapping the large scale velocity field is underway.Comment: Plain TeX Version 3.0, 4 pages, to appear in `Astrophysical Letters and Communications' - proceedings of the international workshop on observational cosmology: `From Galaxies to Galaxy Systems', Sesto, July 199