Clump Distance to the Magellanic Clouds and Anomalous Colors in the Galactic Bulge

Abstract

I demonstrate that the two unexpected results in the local Universe: 1) anomalous intrinsic (V-I)_0 colors of the clump giants and RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic center, and 2) very short distances to the Magellanic Clouds (LMC, SMC) as inferred from clump giants, are connected with each other. The (V-I)_0 anomaly is partially resolved by using the photometry from the phase-II of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) rather than phase-I. The need for V- or I-magnitude-based change in the bulge (V-I)_0 is one option to explain the remaining color discrepancy. Such change may originate in a coefficient of selective extinction A_V/E(V-I) smaller than typically assumed. Application of the (V-I)_0 correction (independent of its source) doubles the slope of the absolute magnitude - metallicity relation for clump giants, so that M_I(RC) = -0.23 + 0.19[Fe/H]. Consequently, the estimates of the clump distances to the LMC and SMC are affected. Udalski's (1998c) distance modulus of mu_{LMC} = 18.18 +/- 0.06 increases to mu_{LMC} = 18.27 +/- 0.07. The distance modulus to the SMC increases by 0.12 to mu_{SMC} = 18.77 +/- 0.08. I argue that a more comprehensive assessment of the metallicity effect on M_I(RC) is needed.