High K-band surface brightness fluctuations in NGC 1427 and NGC 720^*

¹ Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 14 Av. E. Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
² European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching, Germany

Corresponding author: S. Mei, mei@ast.obs-mip.fr

Received: 31 October 2000
Accepted: 6 July 2001

Abstract

We have observed K-band Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) in NGC 1427 and NGC 720. We combine our measurements with distance measurements based on I-band SBF distance moduli and distance moduli derived by other distance indicators. When using distances from I-band SBF, we obtain for NGC 1427 and for NGC 720. When using an average of direct distance measurements, we obtain for NGC 1427 and for NGC 720. For both galaxies, lies well above the average value used as a calibration for distance indication ( Jensen et al. [CITE]). In NGC 720 the high K-band SBF are most probably due to an intermediate-age population. However, there is no hint from current data for any anomaly in the stellar population of NGC 1427. These large variations of in several galaxies underline once more the need for a better understanding of as a function of stellar population properties (Mei et al. [CITE]; Liu et al. [CITE]), especially with respect to the potential presence of intermediate-age populations.