Near-infrared Census of RR Lyrae variables in the Messier 3 globular cluster and the Period--Luminosity Relations

Abstract

We present new near-infrared ($JH{K}_s$) time-series observations of RR Lyrae variables in the Messier 3 (NGC 5272) globular cluster using the WIRCam instrument at the 3.6-m Canada France Hawaii Telescope. Our observations cover a sky area of $\sim 21^{\prime }\times 21^{\prime }$ around the cluster center and provide an average of twenty epochs of homogeneous $JH{K}_s$-band photometry. New homogeneous photometry is used to estimate robust mean magnitudes for 175 fundamental-mode (RRab), 47 overtone-mode (RRc), and 11 mixed-mode (RRd) variables. Our sample of 233 RR Lyrae variables is the largest thus far obtained in a single cluster with time-resolved, multi-band near-infrared photometry. Near-infrared to optical amplitude ratios for RR Lyrae in Messier 3 exhibit a systematic increase moving from RRc to short-period ($P<0.6$~days) and long-period ($P\gtrsim 0.6$~days) RRab variables. We derive $JH{K}_s$-band Period--Luminosity relations for RRab, RRc, and the combined sample of variables. Absolute calibrations based on the theoretically predicted Period--Luminosity--Metallicity relations for RR Lyrae stars yield a distance modulus, $\mu =15.041\pm 0.017(\text{statistical})\pm 0.036(\text{systematic})$~mag, to Messier 3. When anchored to trigonometric parallaxes for nearby RR Lyrae stars from the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} and the {\it Gaia} mission, our distance estimates are consistent with those resulting from the theoretical calibrations, albeit with relatively larger systematic uncertainties.

22 pages, 14 figures, Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

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