A near-infrared, color-selected subset of carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (C-AGB) stars is found to have tightly constrained luminosities in the near-infrared J band. Based on JK photometry of some 3300 C-AGB stars in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) we find that these stars have a constant absolute magnitude of < M-J > = -6.22 mag, adopting the detached eclipsing binary (DEB) distance to the LMC of 18.477 +/- 0.004 (stat) +/- 0.026 (sys). Undertaking a second, independent calibration in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which also has a DEB geometric distance, we find < M-J > = - 6.18. 0.01 (stat) +/- 0.05.(sys) mag. For the LMC the scatter is +/- 0.27 mag for single-epoch observations, (falling to +/- 0.15 mag for multiple observations averaged over a window of more than one year). We provisionally adopt < M-J > = -6.20 mag +/- 0.01.(stat) +/- 0.04.(sys) mag for the mean absolute magnitude of these stars. Applying this calibration to stars recently observed in the galaxy NGC.253, we determine a distance modulus of 27.66 +/- 0.01(stat) +/- 0.04 mag (syst), corresponding to a distance of 3.40 +/- 0.06 Mpc.(stat). This is in excellent agreement with the average tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distance modulus of 27.68 +/- 0.05 mag, assuming M-I = -4.05 mag for the TRGB zero-point.

We consider the application of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) in the optical and in the near-infrared for the determination of distances to nearby galaxies. We analyze ACS VI (F555W and F814W) data and self-consistently cross-calibrate WFC3-IR JH (F110W and F120W) data using an absolute magnitude calibration ofM(I) = -4.05 mag as determined in the Large Magellanic Cloud using detached eclipsing binary star geometric parallaxes. We demonstrate how the optical and near-infrared calibrations of the TRGB method are mathematically self-consistent, and illustrate the mathematical basis and relations among these multiwavelength calibrations. We go on to present a method for determining the reddening, extinction, and the true modulus to the host galaxy using multiwavelength data. The power of the method is that with high-precision data, the reddening can be determined using the TRGB stars themselves, and decreases the systematic (albeit generally small) uncertainty in distance due to reddening for these halo stars.

Context. Malin 1 is the largest known low surface brightness (LSB) galaxy, the archetype of so-called giant LSB galaxies. The structure and origin of such galaxies are still poorly understood, especially because of the lack of high-resolution kinematics and spectroscopic data.Aims. We use emission lines from spectroscopic observations of Malin 1 aiming to bring new constraints on the internal dynamics and star formation history of Malin 1.Methods. We extracted a total of 16 spectra from different regions of Malin 1 and calculated the rotational velocities of these regions from the wavelength shifts and star formation rates from the observed H alpha emission line fluxes. We compared our data with existing data and models for Malin 1.Results. For the first time we present the inner rotation curve of Malin 1, characterised in the radial range r < 10 kpc by a steep rise in the rotational velocity up to at least 350 km s(-1) (with a large dispersion), which had not been observed previously. We used these data to study a suite of new mass models for Malin 1. We show that in the inner regions dynamics may be dominated by the stars (although none of our models can explain the highest velocities measured) but that at large radii a massive dark matter halo remains necessary. The H alpha fluxes derived star formation rates are consistent with an early-type disc for the inner region and with the level found in extended UV galaxies for the outer parts of the giant disc of Malin 1. We also find signs of high metallicity but low dust content for the inner regions.

The local determination of the Hubble constant sits at a crossroad. Current estimates of the local expansion rate of the universe differ by about 1.7 sigma, derived from the Cepheid- and TRGB-based calibrations, applied to Type Ia supernovae. To help elucidate possible sources of systematic error causing the tension, we show in this study the recently developed distance indicator, the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method, can serve as an independent cross-check and comparison with other local distance indicators. Furthermore, we make the case that the JAGB method has substantial potential as an independent, precise, and accurate calibrator of Type Ia supernovae for the determination of H-0. Using the Local Group galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM), we present distance comparisons between the JAGB method, a TRGB measurement at near-infrared (JHK) wavelengths, a TRGB measurement in the optical I band, and a multiwavelength Cepheid period-luminosity relation determination. We find

The recently developed J-region asymptotic giant branch (JAGB) method has extraordinary potential as an extragalactic standard candle, capable of calibrating the absolute magnitudes of locally accessible Type Ia supernovae, thereby leading to an independent determination of the Hubble constant. Using Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) parallaxes, we calibrate the zero-point of the JAGB method, based on the mean luminosity of a color-selected subset of carbon-rich AGB stars. We identify Galactic carbon stars from the literature and use their near-infrared photometry and Gaia EDR3 parallaxes to measure their absolute J-band magnitudes. Based on these Milky Way parallaxes we determine the zero-point of the JAGB method to be M ( J ) = -6.14 +/- 0.05 (stat) +/- 0.11 (sys) mag. This Galactic calibration serves as a consistency check on the JAGB zero-point, agreeing well with previously published, independent JAGB calibrations based on geometric, detached eclipsing binary distances to the LMC and SMC. However, the JAGB stars used in this study suffer from the high parallax uncertainties that afflict the bright and red stars in EDR3, so we are not able to attain the higher precision of previous calibrations, and ultimately will rely on future improved DR4 and DR5 releases.

The J-region asymptotic giant branch (JAGB) method is a new standard candle that is based on the stable intrinsic J-band magnitude of color-selected carbon stars, and has a precision comparable to other primary distance indicators such as Cepheids and the TRGB. We further test the accuracy of the JAGB method in the Local Group galaxy M33. M33's moderate inclination, low metallicity, and nearby proximity make it an ideal laboratory for tests of systematics in local distance indicators. Using high-precision optical BVI and near-infrared JHK photometry, we explore the application of three independent distance indicators: the JAGB method, the Cepheid Leavitt law, and the TRGB. We find: mu (0)(TRGB( I )) = 24.72 +/- 0.02 (stat) +/- 0.07 (sys) mag, mu (0)(TRGB(NIR)) = 24.72 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.10 (sys) mag, mu (0)(JAGB) = 24.67 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.04 (sys) mag, and mu (0)(Cepheid) = 24.71 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.01 (sys) mag. For the first time, we also directly compare a JAGB distance using ground-based and space-based photometry. We measure mu (0)(JAGB(F110W)) = 24.71 +/- 0.06 (stat) +/- 0.05 (sys) mag using the (F814W-F110W) color combination to effectively isolate the JAGB stars. In this paper, we measure a distance to M33 accurate to 2% and provide further evidence that the JAGB method is a powerful extragalactic distance indicator that can effectively probe a local measurement of the Hubble constant using spaced-based observations. We expect to measure the Hubble constant via the JAGB method in the near future, using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.

The current Cepheid-calibrated distance ladder measurement of H (0) is reported to be in tension with the values inferred from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), assuming standard cosmology. However, some tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) estimates report H (0) in better agreement with the CMB. Hence, it is critical to reduce systematic uncertainties in local measurements to understand the Hubble tension. In this paper, we propose a uniform distance ladder between the second and third rungs, combining Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) with a TRGB calibration of their absolute luminosity. A large, volume-limited sample of both calibrator and Hubble flow SNe Ia from the same survey minimizes two of the largest sources of systematics: host-galaxy bias and nonuniform photometric calibration. We present results from a pilot study using the existing TRGB distance to the host galaxy of ZTF SN Ia SN 2021rhu (aka ZTF21abiuvdk) in NGC7814. Combining the ZTF calibrator with a volume-limited sample from the first data release of ZTF Hubble flow SNe Ia, we infer H (0) = 76.94 +/- 6.4 km s(-1) Mpc(-1), an 8.3% measurement. The error budget is dominated by the single object calibrating the SN Ia luminosity in this pilot study. However, the ZTF sample includes already five other SNe Ia within similar to 20 Mpc for which TRGB distances can be obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. Finally, we present the prospects of building this distance ladder out to 80 Mpc with James Webb Space Telescope observations of more than 100 ZTF SNe Ia.

We present an absolute calibration of the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) method using published photometry of resolved stars in 20 nearby galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope using the WFC3-IR camera and the F110W (broad J-band) filter. True distance moduli for each of the galaxies are based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) method as uniformly determined by Dalcanton et al. From a composite color-magnitude diagram composed of over 6 million stars, leading to a sample of 453 JAGB stars in these galaxies, we find M-F110W(JAGB) = -5.77 +/- 0.02 mag (statistical error on the mean). The external scatter seen in a comparison of the individual TRGB and the JAGB moduli is +/- 0.081 mag (or 4% in distance). Some of this scatter can be attributed to small number statistics arising from the sparse JAGB populations found in the generally low-luminosity galaxies that comprise the particular sample studied here. However, if this intermethod scatter is shared equitably between the JAGB and TRGB methods, that implies that each is good to +/- 0.06 mag, or better than 3% in distance.

Using parallaxes from Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3), we determine multi-wavelength BVI (c) , JHK (s) , and [3.6] and [4.5] micron absolute magnitudes for 37 nearby Milky Way Cepheids, covering the period range between 5 and 60 days. We apply these period-luminosity relations to Cepheids in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and find that the derived distances are significantly discrepant with the geometric distances according to detached eclipsing binaries (DEBs). We explore several potential causes of these issues, including reddening, metallicity, and the existence of an additional zero-point offset, but none provide a sufficient reconciliation with both DEB distances. We conclude that the combination of the systematic uncertainties on the EDR3 parallaxes with the uncertainties on the effect of metallicity on the Cepheid distance scale leads to a systematic error floor of approximately 3%. We therefore find that the EDR3 data are not sufficiently accurate in the regime of these bright Cepheids to determine extragalactic distances precise to the 1% level at this time, in agreement with a number of contemporary studies.

We present a new calibration of the J-band absolute magnitude of the JAGB method based on thermally pulsing AGB stars that are members of Milky Way open clusters, having distances and reddenings, independently compiled and published by Marigo. A total 17 of these photometrically selected J-Branch AGB stars give M ( J ) = -6.40 mag with a scatter of +/- 0.40 mag, and 1 sigma on the mean of +/- 0.10 mag. Combining the Milky Way field carbon star calibration of Lee with this determination gives a weighted average of M ( J )(MW) = -6.19 +/- 0.04 mag (error on the mean). This value is statistically indistinguishable from the value determined for this population of distance indicators in the LMC and SMC, giving further evidence that JAGB stars are extremely reliable distance indicators of high luminosity and universal applicability. Combining the zero-points for JAGB stars in these three systems, a value of M ( J ) = -6.20 +/- 0.01 (stat) +/- 0.04 (sys) mag becomes our best current estimate of the JAGB zero-point and its associated errors. Finally, we note that no evidence is found for any statistically significant dependence of this zero-point on metallicity.