First measurement of the Hubble constant from a dark standard siren using the Dark Energy Survey galaxies and the LIGO/Virgo binary-black-hole merger GW170814


Abstract in English

We present a multi-messenger measurement of the Hubble constant H_0 using the binary-black-hole merger GW170814 as a standard siren, combined with a photometric redshift catalog from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The luminosity distance is obtained from the gravitational wave signal detected by the LIGO/Virgo Collaboration (LVC) on 2017 August 14, and the redshift information is provided by the DES Year 3 data. Black-hole mergers such as GW170814 are expected to lack bright electromagnetic emission to uniquely identify their host galaxies and build an object-by-object Hubble diagram. However, they are suitable for a statistical measurement, provided that a galaxy catalog of adequate depth and redshift completion is available. Here we present the first Hubble parameter measurement using a black-hole merger. Our analysis results in $H_0 = 75.2^{+39.5}_{-32.4}~{rm km~s^{-1}~Mpc^{-1}}$, which is consistent with both SN Ia and CMB measurements of the Hubble constant. The quoted 68% credible region comprises 60% of the uniform prior range [20,140] ${rm km~s^{-1}~Mpc^{-1}}$, and it depends on the assumed prior range. If we take a broader prior of [10,220] ${rm km~s^{-1}~Mpc^{-1}}$, we find $H_0 = 78^{+ 96}_{-24}~{rm km~s^{-1}~Mpc^{-1}}$ ($57%$ of the prior range). Although a weak constraint on the Hubble constant from a single event is expected using the dark siren method, a multifold increase in the LVC event rate is anticipated in the coming years and combinations of many sirens will lead to improved constraints on $H_0$.

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