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Statistical biases in extragalactic distance determinations. G. Paturel, Observatoire de Lyon In collaboration with P. Teerikorpi. IHP 28-29 Avril 2005. The difficult problem of Ho. When does a bias appear ?.
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Statistical biases in extragalactic distance determinations. G. Paturel, Observatoire de Lyon In collaboration with P. Teerikorpi IHP 28-29 Avril 2005
When does a bias appear ? 1) When the absolute magnitude is expressed as a function of an observable parameter with a scatter Examples : Tully-Fisher Relation Period-Luminosity Relation 2) When the sample has a limiting apparent magnitude mlim
Let us explain in a simple case The « sosie » method (e.g.for TF relation) We select galaxies with the same logVM Through they should constitute « Standard Candles » with the same absolute magnitude. Are standard candles free of bias ? No !
Graphical explanation of two kinds of bias (1) Classical Malmquist bias
Graphical explanation of two kinds of bias (2) Incompleteness bias (at a constant distance modulus)
How Cepheid Period Luminosity relation looks like ? The Cepheid PL relation fill the conditions to have a bias at a constant distance
Does the bias affect the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation ? The bias should exist but it can be small due to the small scatter of the PL relation. How to test the existence of a possible bias in the PL relation ?
A simple simulation shows that a bias can exist Is it possible to use redshift as a relative distance indicator ? YES
The Hubble law: V= H.r The original discovery: V < 1200 km/s
Small dispersion around the regular Hubble flow • In 1957 de Vaucouleurs noted that deviations from Hubble law are small (<100 km/s) • In 1972 Sandage and coworkers (ApJ 172, 253) found still maller value (<60 km/s) • In 1999 Ekholm et al. confirm that the Hubble law works at small scale • In 2001 Ekholm et al. and Karachentsev et al., independently found a still smaller dispersion (<40 km/s) of the very local expansion
Use of the 2-parameter bias model by Teerikorpi (1975) to check a bias diagram
A bias diagram When the absolute limiting Magnitude allows us to see faint Cepheids the bias is Negligible. The fit of the bias model Leads to : logH=1.76 ; H=56 (km/s)/Mpc
Influence of the correlation of errors The fit of the bias model Leads to : logH=1.80 ; H=63 (km/s)/Mpc The reality could be H=60 (km/s)/Mpc
Comparison of corrected and uncorrected distances, using HST anf ground-based Cepheid distances Ground-based HST
The final question by A.Blanchard : Are the SN- standard candle affected in a similar way The possibility exists because the reference sample is not similar to the distant one (mixing several luminosities) Another effect could be due to evolution effect