The PL calibration for Milky Way Cepheids and its implications for the distance scale

The rationale behind recent calibrations of the Cepheid PL relation using the Wesenheit formulation is reviewed and reanalyzed, and it is shown that recent conclusions regarding a possible change in slope of the PL relation for short-period and long-period Cepheids are tied to a pathological distribution of HST calibrators within the instability strip. A recalibration of the period-luminosity relation is obtained using Galactic Cepheids in open clusters and groups, the resulting relationship, described by log L/L_sun = 2.415(+-0.035) + 1.148(+-0.044)log P, exhibiting only the moderate scatter expected from color spread within the instability strip. The relationship is confirmed by Cepheids with HST parallaxes, although without the need for Lutz-Kelker corrections, and in general by Cepheids with revised Hipparcos parallaxes, albeit with concerns about the cited precisions of the latter. A Wesenheit formulation of Wv = -2.259(+-0.083) - 4.185(+-0.103)log P for Galactic Cepheids is tested successfully using Cepheids in the inner regions of the galaxy NGC 4258, confirming the independent geometrical distance established for the galaxy from OH masers. Differences between the extinction properties of interstellar and extragalactic dust may yet play an important role in the further calibration of the Cepheid PL relation and its application to the extragalactic distance scale.Comment: Accepted for Publication (Astrophysics & Space Science

Polaris: History of Pulsation Activity since Discovery

The pulsation activity of small-amplitude Cepheid Alpha UMi (Polaris) during the period of its radial velocity observations has been analyzed. In the 20th century, Polaris was known to demonstrate a decrease in radial velocity amplitude to the minimum, in the 1980s. Thereafter, the amplitude has increased. The observations of September-December 2015 (21 spectra) obtained by 81cm telescope TCO with spectrograph have showed that radial velocity amplitude comes to 4.16 km/s and is approximately twice higher than the estimates made in 2007, with pulsation period adding 8.6 min

The distribution of the elements in the thin disc from classical Cepheids

Classical Cepheids are the most popular primary distance indicator. They allow us to determine the Galactic abundances gradients and to constrain the chemical enrichment of the thin disc. We present here results based on high resolution spectra of 63 Cepheids. They indicate local abundances inhomogeneities in the outer disc (Rg >10 kpc)