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arXiv · 1901.01540

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

The DES Collaboration·the LIGO Scientific Collaboration·the Virgo Collaboration·M. Soares-Santos·A. Palmese·W. Hartley·J. Annis·J. Garcia-Bellido·O. Lahav·Z. Doctor·M. Fishbach·D. E. Holz·H. Lin·M. E. S. Pereira·A. Garcia·K. Herner·R. Kessler·H. V. Peiris·M. Sako·S. Allam·D. Brout·A. Carnero Rosell·H. Y. Chen·C. Conselice·J. deRose·J. deVicente·H. T. Diehl·M. S. S. Gill·J. Gschwend·I. Sevilla-Noarbe·D. L. Tucker·R. Wechsler·E. Berger·P. S. Cowperthwaite·B. D. Metzger·P. K. G. Williams·T. M. C. Abbott·F. B. Abdalla·S. Avila·K. Bechtol·E. Bertin·D. Brooks·E. Buckley-Geer·D. L. Burke·M. Carrasco Kind·J. Carretero·F. J. Castander·M. Crocce·C. E. Cunha·C. B. D'Andrea·L. N. da Costa·C. Davis·S. Desai·P. Doel·A. Drlica-Wagner·T. F. Eifler·A. E. Evrard·B. Flaugher·P. Fosalba·J. Frieman·E. Gaztanaga·D. W. Gerdes·D. Gruen·R. A. Gruendl·G. Gutierrez·D. L. Hollowood·B. Hoyle·D. J. James·T. Jeltema·K. Kuehn·N. Kuropatkin·T. S. Li·M. Lima·M. A. G. Maia·J. L. Marshall·F. Menanteau·R. Miquel·E. Neilsen·R. L. C. Ogando·A. A. Plazas·A. K. Romer·A. Roodman·E. Sanchez·V. Scarpine·R. Schindler·M. Schubnell·S. Serrano·M. Smith·R. C. Smith·F. Sobreira·E. Suchyta·M. E. C. Swanson·G. Tarle·R. C. Thomas·A. R. Walker·W. Wester·J. Zuntz·B. P. Abbott·R. Abbott·T. D. Abbott
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Abstract

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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The DES Collaboration, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, M. Soares-Santos, A. Palmese, W. Hartley, J. Annis, J. Garcia-Bellido, O. Lahav, Z. Doctor, M. Fishbach, D. E. Holz, H. Lin, M. E. S. Pereira, A. Garcia, K. Herner, R. Kessler, H. V. Peiris, M. Sako, S. Allam, D. Brout, A. Carnero Rosell, H. Y. Chen, C. Conselice, J. deRose, J. deVicente, H. T. Diehl, M. S. S. Gill, J. Gschwend, I. Sevilla-Noarbe, D. L. Tucker, R. Wechsler, E. Berger, P. S. Cowperthwaite, B. D. Metzger, P. K. G. Williams, T. M. C. Abbott, F. B. Abdalla, S. Avila, K. Bechtol, E. Bertin, D. Brooks, E. Buckley-Geer, D. L. Burke, M. Carrasco Kind, J. Carretero, F. J. Castander, M. Crocce, C. E. Cunha, C. B. D'Andrea, L. N. da Costa, C. Davis, S. Desai, P. Doel, A. Drlica-Wagner, T. F. Eifler, A. E. Evrard, B. Flaugher, P. Fosalba, J. Frieman, E. Gaztanaga, D. W. Gerdes, D. Gruen, R. A. Gruendl, G. Gutierrez, D. L. Hollowood, B. Hoyle, D. J. James, T. Jeltema, K. Kuehn, N. Kuropatkin, T. S. Li, M. Lima, M. A. G. Maia, J. L. Marshall, F. Menanteau, R. Miquel, E. Neilsen, R. L. C. Ogando, A. A. Plazas, A. K. Romer, A. Roodman, E. Sanchez, V. Scarpine, R. Schindler, M. Schubnell, S. Serrano, M. Smith, R. C. Smith, F. Sobreira, E. Suchyta, M. E. C. Swanson, G. Tarle, R. C. Thomas, A. R. Walker, W. Wester, J. Zuntz, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, T. D. Abbott. 2019-01-06. 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. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ab14f1

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