The Extragalactic Distance Scale
These days, Cepheids, the Tip of the Red Giant Branch, and Supernovae are most often associated with distance scale measurements. But the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function has a unique role in building the Distance Ladder: it is one of the few methods that works in both Population I and Population II systems.
Post-AGB stars in old stellar systems also show great potential for ultra-precision distance measurements in the nearby universe.
Publications
Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., Roth, M.M., Arnaboldi, M., & Weilbacher, P.M. 2023, "Towards Precision Cosmology With Improved Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function Distances Using VLT-MUSE II. A Test Sample from Archival Data," Ap. J. Suppl., 271, 40 [ADS Entry]
Chase, O., Ciardullo, R., Roth, M.M., & Jacoby, G.H. 2023, "The Effect of Superpositions on the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function," Ap. J., 950, 59 [ADS Entry]
Soemitro, A.A., Roth, M.M., Weilbacher, P.M., Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., Monreal-Ibero, A., Castro, N., & Micheva, G. 2023, "MUSE Crowded Field 3D Spectroscopy in NGC 300 : IV. Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function,'' A& A, 671, 142 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Bond, H.E., Davis, B.D., & Siegel, M.H. 2022, "Yellow Post-asymptotic-giant-branch Stars as Standard Candles. I. Calibration of the Luminosity Function in Galactic Globular Clusters," Ap. J., 930, 145 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2022, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function in the Era of Precision Cosmology," Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 9, 896326 [ADS Entry]
Roth, M.M., Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., Davis, B.D., Chase, O., & Weilbacher, P.M. 2021, "Towards Precision Cosmology With Improved PNLF Distances Using VLT-MUSE I. Methodology and Tests," Ap. J., 916, 21 [ADS Entry]
Davis, B.D., Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., Feldmeier, J.J., & Indahl, B.L. 2018, "The True Luminosities of Planetary Nebulae in M31's Bulge: Massive Central Stars from an Old Stellar Population," Ap. J., 863, 189 [ADS Entry]
Davis, B.D., Ciardullo, R., Feldmeier, J.J., & Jacoby, G.H. 2018, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF): Contamination from Supernova Remnants," R.N.A.A., 2, 32 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2015, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function and its Issues," in Astronomy in Focus, Proceedings of the I.A.U. General Assembly, Vol 29B, ed. P. Benevenuti (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 15 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2013, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function," in I.A.U. Symp 289, Advancing the Physics of Cosmic Distances, ed. R. de Grijs (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 247 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2012, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function at the Dawn of Gaia," Astr. Spa. Sci., 341, 151 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2010, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function: Pieces of the Puzzle", Pub. A.S.A., 27, 149 [ADS Entry]
Herrmann, K.A., Ciardullo, R., Feldmeier, J.J., & Vinciguerra, M. 2008, "Planetary Nebulae in Face-On Spiral Galaxies. I. Planetary Nebula Photometry and Distances", Ap. J., 683, 630 [ADS Entry]
van de Steene, G.C., Jacoby, G.H., Praet, C., Ciardullo, R., & Dejonghe, H. 2006, "Distance Determination to NGC 55 from the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function," Astr. Ap., 455, 891 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2006, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function," in Planetary Nebulae Beyond the Milky Way, (Berlin: Springer), p. 79 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2005, "Planetary Nebulae and the Extragalactic Distance Scale," Planetary Nebulae as Astronomical Tools (Melville, NY: AIPC), p. 277 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Durrell, P.R., Laychak, M.B., Herrmann, K.A., Moody, K., Jacoby, G.H., & Feldmeier, J.J. 2004, "The Planetary Nebula System of M33," Ap. J., 614, 167 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R. 2003 "Extragalactic Distances from Planetary Nebulae," Springer Lecture Notes in Physics, Stellar Candles for the Extragalactic Distance Scale, (Berlin: Springer), p. 243 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Feldmeier, J.J., Jacoby, G.H., de Naray, R.K., Laychak, M.B., & Durrell, P.R. 2002, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. XII. Connecting the Population I and Population II Distance Scales," Ap. J., 577, 31 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1999, "The Circumstellar Extinction of Planetary Nebulae," Ap. J., 515, 191 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., Feldmeier, J.J., & Bartlett, R. 1998, "The Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function of M87 and the Intracluster Stars of Virgo," Ap. J., 492, 62 [ADS Entry]
Feldmeier, J.J., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1997, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. XI. Application to Spiral Galaxies," Ap. J., 479, 231 [ADS Entry]
Feldmeier, J.J., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1996, "The Planetary Nebula Distance to M101," Ap. J. (Letters), 461, L25 [ADS Entry]
Ford, H.C., Hui, X., Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., & Freeman, K.C. 1996, "The Stellar Halo of M104. I. A Survey for Planetary Nebulae and the PNLF Distance," Ap. J., 458, 455 [ADS Entry]
Soffner, T., Mendez, R.H., Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., Roth, M.M., & Kudritzki, R.P. 1996, "Planetary Nebulae and H II Regions in NGC 300," A& A, 306, 9 [ADS Entry]
Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., & Harris, W.E. 1996, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. X. Tests in the Coma I Region," Ap. J., 462, 1 [ADS Entry]
Hui, X., Ford, H.C., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1993, "The Planetary Nebula System and Dynamics of NGC 5128. II. A Planetary Nebula Catalog," Ap. J. Supp., 88, 423 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., & Tonry, J.L. 1993, "A Comparison of the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function and Surface Brightness Fluctuation Distance Scales," Ap. J., 417, 479 [ADS Entry]
McMillan, R., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1993, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. IX. The Distance to the Fornax Cluster," Ap. J., 416, 62 [ADS Entry]
Mendez, R.H., Kudritzki, R.P., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1993, "The Bright End of the Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function," A & A, 275, 534 [ADS Entry]
Hui, X., Ford, H., Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G. 1993, "The Planetary Nebula System and Dynamics of NGC 5128. I. Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles," Ap. J., 414, 463 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., & Jacoby, G.H. 1992, Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. VIII. Evidence for a Change in the Luminosity Function Cutoff at Low Metallicity," Ap. J., 388, 268 [ADS Entry]
Jacoby, G.H., Branch, D., Ciardullo, R., Davies, R.L., Harris, W.E., Pierce, M.J., Pritchet, C.J., Tonry, J.L., & Welch, D.L. 1992, "A Critical Review of Selected Techniques for Measuring Extragalactic Distances," Pub. A.S.P., 104, 599 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., & Harris, W.E. 1991, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. VII. A Test Vs. Hubble Type in the NGC 1023 Group," Ap. J., 383, 487 [ADS Entry]
Jacoby, G.H., Walker, A.R., & Ciardullo, R. 1990, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. VI. A Test in the Magellanic Clouds," Ap. J., 365, 471 [ADS Entry]
Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., & Ford, H.C. 1990, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. V. The Distance to the Virgo Cluster," Ap. J., 356, 332 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., & Ford, H.C. 1989, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. IV. A Test in the Leo I Group,"Ap. J., 344, 715 [ADS Entry]
Jacoby, G.H., Ciardullo, R., Ford, H.C., & Booth, J. 1989, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. III. The Distance to M81," Ap. J., 344, 704 [ADS Entry]
Ciardullo, R., Jacoby, G.H., Ford, H.C., & Neill, J.D. 1989, "Planetary Nebulae as Standard Candles. II. The Calibration in M31 and its Companions," Ap. J., 339, 53 [ADS Entry]