Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distances to NGC 1316, NGC 1380, NGC 1404, & NGC 4457: A Pilot Study of a Parallel Distance Ladder Using Type Ia Supernovae in Early-Type Host Galaxies

Understand

Though type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are found in all types of galaxies, recent local Hubble constant measurements have disfavored using SNe Ia in early-type or quiescent galaxies, aiming instead for better consistency with SNe Ia in star-forming, late-type host galaxies calibrated by Cepheid distances.

• Here we investigate the feasibility of a parallel distance ladder using SNe Ia exclusively in quiescent, massive ($\log M_*/M_{\odot} \geq 10$) host galaxies, calibrated by tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances.
• We present TRGB measurements to four galaxies: three measured from the Hubble Space Telescope with the ACS F814W filter, and one measured from the JWST NIRCam F090W filter.
• Combined with literature measurements, we define a TRGB calibrator sample of five high-mass, early-type galaxies that hosted well-measured SNe Ia: NGC 1316 (SN 2006dd), NGC 1380 (SN 1992A), NGC 1404 (SN 2007on, SN 2011iv), NGC 4457 (SN 2020nvb), and NGC 4636 (SN 2020ue).