Revised Baade–Wesselink Analysis of RR Lyrae Stars

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Abstract
We have applied the Baade–Wesselink method to two field RR Lyrae stars, i.e. SW And and RR Cet, and derived their distances and physical parameters. With respect to previous B–W analyses we have applied the following improvements: i) use of all sets of available data, after proper comparison for homogeneity and compatibility; ii) use of the most recent and accurate model atmospheres, with turbulent velocity Vturb = 4 km s−1 and the no-overshooting approximation, and comparison with other treatments of convection; iii) use of the instantaneous gravity along the pulsation cycle rather than the mean value; iv) comparison with modified radial velocity curves according to various assumptions on radial velocity gradients in the atmosphere; and v) careful reanalysis of the temperature scale. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the above items on the B–W results and verify whether any (or a combination) of them can possibly account for the discrepancy of the absolute magnitude zero-point with respect to other independent determinations.