[Previous] | [Session 101] | [Next]
T. E. Harrison, B. J. McNamara (NMSU), P. Szkody (U. Wash.), A. Klemola (UCO Lick), R. L. Gilliland (STScI)
We are nearing completion of a project to measure precise (± 1 mas) parallaxes for three dwarf novae (SS Cyg, U Gem, and SS Aur) using the Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) on the HST. One goal of this program is to calibrate the technique of infrared spectroscopic parallax. To accomplish this, we have obtained moderate resolution (R = 5000) K-band spectroscopy of all three dwarf novae in quiescence using CRSP on the KPNO 2.1 m. We find that the spectral types of the secondary stars derived from the infrared spectroscopy are similar to, but slightly earlier than previous determinations. Using new infrared photometry, and recent calibrations of the infrared luminosities of late-type dwarf stars, we estimate the distances to these three dwarf novae for future comparison with the parallaxes that will be derived from the HST FGS measurements.