Abstract
We report the discovery of RV Tauri stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). In light- and color-curve behavior, the RV Tauri stars appear to be a direct extension of the type II Cepheids to longer periods. A single period-luminosity-color relationship is seen to describe both the type II Cepheids and the RV Tauri stars in the LMC. We derive the relation V0 = 17.89(±0.20)-2.95(±0.12) log P + 5.49(±0.35)⟨(V - R)0⟩, which is valid for type II Cepheids and RV Tauri stars in the period range 0.9 < log P < 1.75. Assuming a distance modulus to the LMC of 18.5, the relation in terms of the absolute luminosities becomes MV = -0.61(±0.20)-2.95(±0.12) log P + 5.49(±0.35)⟨(V - R)0⟩.
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