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Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia Society
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
RESEARCH ARTICLE

RR Lyrae Stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 6101

M. T. Fitzgerald A B F , J. Criss C , T. Lukaszewicz C , D. J. Frew A B , M. Catelan D , S. Woodward C , L. Danaia E and D. H. McKinnon E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Physics & Astronomy, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia

B Macquarie University Research Centre in Astronomy, Astrophysics & Astrophotonics, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia

C Oakhill College, Castle Hill, NSW 2154, Australia

D Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile

E Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW 2795, Australia

F Corresponding author. Email: mfitzasp@gmail.com

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 29(1) 72-77 https://doi.org/10.1071/AS11046
Submitted: 12 September 2011  Accepted: 14 December 2011   Published: 24 February 2012

Abstract

V- and I-band observations were taken over 9 months to study the RR Lyrae population in the metal-poor diffuse globular cluster NGC 6101. We identify one new variable, which is either a potential long-period red giant variable or eclipsing binary, and recover all previously identified RR Lyraes. One previously studied RR Lyrae is reclassified as an RRc type, while two period estimations have been significantly refined. We confirm that NGC 6101 is Oosterhoff type II with a high ratio of n(c)/n(ab + c) = 0.833 with a very long mean RRab period of 0.86 d. By using theoretical RR Lyrae period-luminosity-metallicity relations, we use our V- and I-band RR Lyrae data to gain an independent estimate of the reddening towards this cluster of E(B – V) = 0.15 ± 0.04 and derive a distance of 12.8 ± 0.8 kpc. The majority of the work in this study was undertaken by upper secondary school students involved in the Space to Grow astronomy education project in Australia.

Keywords: globular clusters: individual (NGC 6101) — RR Lyrae variable


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