0 Assigned ID: 419 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Fri Apr 07 06:55:48 GMT 2017) ----- HST Phase I Proposal 419 (AR-prop-2017.apt) successfully submitted. Receipt: # 419-1 ----- Attempting Submission 2 (Fri Apr 07 18:42:52 GMT 2017) ----- HST Phase I Proposal 419 (AR-prop-2017.apt) successfully submitted. Receipt: # 419-2 ----- Attempting Submission 3 (Fri Apr 07 22:22:36 GMT 2017) ----- The near-infrared (NIR) tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) shows outstanding promise as a distance indicator. In the JWST era, the NIR-TRGB will bridge the gap from local geometric parallax (with Gaia) out to the low-velocity Hubble flow in a single step, in all types of galaxies. However, there currently exist several impediments to JWST's using the TRGB to full advantage. Dalcanton et al. (2012) presented the most comprehensive dataset available for calibrating the TRGB absolute magnitude, with optical and NIR coverage of 23 nearby dwarf and spiral galaxies spanning a wide range of ages and metallicities. However, subtle offsets between this dataset, theoretical models, and globular clusters raise concerns about the calibration. We propose to perform a complete re-reduction and re-analysis of this dataset. We have developed a pipeline that leverages simultaneous fitting of optical and NIR data to produce NIR photometry of higher quality and completeness, with up to 1.5 mag greater depth than can be achieved with the NIR alone. With this added depth, improvements in photometric precision, and updated WFC3/IR PSFs and flux calibration, we will derive uniform, precise, and accurate NIR TRGB measurements, with which we will be able to resolve standing issues with the TRGB color-absolute magnitude relation and its behavior with changing star-formation histories. This work will lay the groundwork for extending the TRGB distance scale out to at least 37 Mpc with JWST. We will release the resulting 4-filter optical-NIR photometry as HLSPs for use by the community before the launch of JWST, to serve as a resource for proposing for stellar population observations in the NIR. Stellar Populations 0 Regular false false false SUPPORTED