The luminosity and kinematics of RR Lyrae stars in the solar neighbourhood - I. Statistical parallaxes of RR Lyraes

We have used an improved maximum-likelihood statistic to determine the absolute magnitude and kinematics of local RR Lyrae variables from a statistical and secular parallax analysis of proper motions and radial velocities. Our analysis indicates a ‘best-buy’ absolute magnitude (at mean intensity) of |$\langle M_V\rangle=+0.75\pm0.2$|⁠. We show that our analysis reconciles the divergent results of Heck & Lakaye and Clube & Dawe. We find no statistically significant evidence for any correlation between absolute magnitude and metallicity. However, there is a correlation between systemic rotation and both metallicity and period.