Gaia EDR3 Parallax Zero-point Offset based on W Ursae Majoris-type Eclipsing Binaries

Abstract

We independently determine the zero-point offset of the Gaia early Data Release-3 (EDR3) parallaxes based on $\sim 110,000$ W Ursae Majoris (EW)-type eclipsing binary systems. EWs cover almost the entire sky and are characterized by a relatively complete coverage in magnitude and color. They are an excellent proxy for Galactic main-sequence stars. We derive a $W1$-band Period-Luminosity relation with a distance accuracy of $7.4\%$, which we use to anchor the Gaia parallax zero-point. The final, global parallax offsets are $-28.6\pm 0.6$ $\mu$as and $-25.4\pm 4.0$ $\mu$as (before correction) and $4.2\pm 0.5$ $\mu$as and $4.6\pm 3.7$ $\mu$as (after correction) for the five- and six-parameter solutions, respectively. The total systematic uncertainty is $1.8$ $\mu$as. The spatial distribution of the parallax offsets shows that the bias in the corrected Gaia EDR3 parallaxes is less than 10 $\mu$as across $40\%$ of the sky. Only $15\%$ of the sky is characterized by a parallax offset greater than 30 $\mu$as. Thus, we have provided independent evidence that the parallax zero-point correction provided by the Gaia team significantly reduces the prevailing bias. Combined with literature data, we find that the overall Gaia EDR3 parallax offsets for Galactic stars are $[-20,-30]$ $\mu$as and 4-10 $\mu$as, respectively, before and after correction. For specific regions, an additional deviation of about 10 $\mu$as is found.

arXiv comment7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

References in corpus (23)

• Gaia Data Release 2. Summary of the contents and survey properties
• The Gaia mission
• A 3D Dust Map Based on Gaia, Pan-STARRS 1 and 2MASS
• Gaia Early Data Release 3: The astrometric solution
• Cosmic Distances Calibrated to 1% Precision with Gaia EDR3 Parallaxes and Hubble Space Telescope Photometry of 75 Milky Way Cepheids Confirm Tension with LambdaCDM
• Gaia Data Release 1: Astrometry - one billion positions, two million proper motions and parallaxes
• The Optical to Mid-Infrared Extinction Law Based on the APOGEE, Gaia DR2, Pan-STARRS1, SDSS, APASS, 2MASS and WISE Surveys
• The ASAS-SN Catalog of Variable Stars I: The Serendipitous Survey
• Gaia Early Data Release 3 -- Catalogue validation
• A First Catalog of Variable Stars Measured by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)
• The Zwicky Transient Facility Catalog of Periodic Variable Stars
• Parallax Systematics and Photocenter Motions of Benchmark Eclipsing Binaries in Gaia EDR3
• Confirmation of the $Gaia$ DR2 parallax zero-point offset using asteroseismology and spectroscopy in the $Kepler$ field
• Absolute Magnitude Calibration for the W UMa-type Systems Based on Hipparcos Data
• Contact Binaries with Additional Components. II. A Spectroscopic Search for Faint Tertiaries
• Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) Catalog of Periodic Variable Stars
• Evidence for a systematic offset of $-$0.25 mas in the Gaia DR1 parallaxes
• The Parallax Zero-Point of Gaia Early Data Release 3 from LAMOST Primary Red Clump Stars
• Optical-Mid-Infrared Period-Luminosity Relations for W UMa-type Contact Binaries Based on Gaia DR 1: 8% Distance Accuracy
• Contact Binaries as Viable Distance Indicators: New, Competitive (V)JHKs Period-Luminosity Relations
• Distance Dependent Offsets between Parallaxes for Nearby Stars and Gaia DR1 Parallaxes
• Absolute Magnitude Calibration for W UMa-Type Systems Based on Gaia Data
• Eclipsing Binary Populations across the Northern Galactic Plane from the KISOGP survey

Cited by in corpus (35)

• Gaia Data Release 3: Summary of the content and survey properties
• The CosmoVerse White Paper: Addressing observational tensions in cosmology with systematics and fundamental physics
• Distance estimates for AGB stars from parallax measurements
• The parallax zero point offset from Gaia EDR3 data
• A 0.9% Calibration of the Galactic Cepheid luminosity scale based on Gaia DR3 data of open clusters and Cepheids
• Photometric metallicity and distance estimates for $\sim$ 136,000 RR Lyrae stars from Gaia DR3
• The value-added catalogue for LAMOST DR8 low-resolution spectra
• Substructure in the stellar halo near the Sun. II. Characterisation of independent structures
• Investigation of the Orbital Period and Mass Relations for W UMa-type Contact Systems
• The period--luminosity relation for Mira variables in the Milky Way using Gaia DR3: a further distance anchor for $H_0$
• J-PLUS: Spectral evolution of white dwarfs by PDF analysis
• Stars that approach within one parsec of the Sun: New and more accurate encounters identified in Gaia Data Release 3
• Extremely low-mass white dwarf stars observed in Gaia DR2 and LAMOST DR8
• Cepheid metallicity in the Leavitt law (C-MetaLL) survey -- III. Simultaneous derivation of the Gaia parallax offset and Period-Luminosity-Metallicity coefficients
• Asteroseismology of overmassive, undermassive, and potential past members of the open cluster NGC6791
• Exploring the stellar rotation of early-type stars in the LAMOST Medium-Resolution Survey. I. Catalog
• The use of double-mode RR Lyrae stars as robust distance and metallicity indicators
• A Gaia Data Release 3 View on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Luminosity
• Investigating Gaia EDR3 parallax systematics using asteroseismology of Cool Giant Stars observed by Kepler, K2, and TESS II. Deciphering Gaia parallax systematics using red clump stars
• A spatially dependent correction of Gaia EDR3 parallax zero-point offset based on 0.3 million LAMOST DR8 giant stars
• The Photo-Astrometric Vertical Tracer Density of the Milky Way II: Results from Gaia
• HD144941: The most extreme helium-strong star
• Investigating Gaia EDR3 parallax systematics using asteroseismology of Cool Giant Stars observed by Kepler, K2, and TESS I. Asteroseismic distances to 12,500 red-giant stars
• 3D Parameter Maps of Red Clump Stars in the Milky Way -- Absolute Magnitudes and Intrinsic Colors
• The lightcurve intrinsic variability in 47 Kepler contact binary stars
• Probing galactic double-mode RR Lyrae stars against Gaia EDR3
• A Geometric Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch in the Milky Way using Gaia DR3
• Physical Properties of 29 sdB+dM Eclipsing Binaries in Zwicky Transient Facility
• Gaia EDR3 parallaxes of type I X-ray bursters and their implications on the models of type I X-ray bursts: a generic approach to the Gaia parallax zero-point and its uncertainty
• Galaxy Rotation Parameters from OB2 Stars with Proper Motions and Parallaxes from the Gaia EDR3 Catalog
• Link between the Optical and Radio Frames from Gaia DR3 Data and VLBI Measurements
• Orbital parallax of binary systems compared to GAIA DR3 and the parallax zero-point offset at bright magnitudes
• The Environments around W Serpentis Systems: Independent Limits on System Masses and Extended Envelopes
• Kinematics of the Galaxy from Young Open Star Clusters with Data from the Gaia EDR3 Catalogue
• The First Photometric Study of AH Mic Contact Binary System