Two New Tests of the Metallicity Sensitivity of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity Relation (The Leavitt Law)

TL;DR

This study investigates how metallicity affects the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation across multiple wavelengths, finding a wavelength-dependent trend that impacts distance measurements and the calibration of the Leavitt Law.

Contribution

It provides new empirical evidence on the wavelength-dependent metallicity sensitivity of Cepheids, especially in optical and mid-infrared bands, challenging previous assumptions.

Findings

Monotonic metallicity trend in optical wavelengths due to line-blanketing.

Reversal of trend at mid-infrared wavelengths near 2.2μm.

Weak correlation between host galaxy metallicity and Cepheid distance deviations.

Abstract

We undertake a new test of the metallicity sensitivity of the Leavitt Law for Classical Cepheids. We derive an empirical calibration of the apparent luminosities of Cepheids as measured from the optical through the mid-infrared (0.45-8.0um) as a function of spectroscopic [Fe/H] abundances of individual Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud from Romaniello et al. (2008). The cumulative trend over the entire wavelength range shows a nearly monotonic behavior. The sense of the trend is consistent with differential line-blanketing in the optical, leading to stars of high metallicity being fainter in the optical. This is followed by a reversal in the trend at longer wavelengths, with the cross-over occurring near the K band at about 2.2um, consistent with a subsequent redistribution of energy resulting in a mild brightening of Cepheids (with increased metallicity) at mid-infrared wavelengths. This conclusion agrees with that of Romaniello et al. based on a differential comparison of the mean V- and K-band Leavitt Laws for the Galaxy, SMC and LMC, but is opposite in sign to most other empirical tests of the sensitivity of Cepheid distances to mean [O/H] HII region abundances. We also search for a correlation of Cepheid host-galaxy metallicity with deviations of the galaxy's Cepheid distance from that predicted from a pure Hubble flow. Based on Cepheid distances to 26 nearby galaxies in the local flow, only a very weak signal is detected giving Dmu_o = -0.17 (+/- 0.31) ([O/H] - 8.80) - 0.21 (+/-0.10). This is in agreement with previous determinations, but statistically inconclusive.