LIGO Scientific Collaboration & Virgo Collaboration
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P. Booker
O. de Varona Ortega
S. Hochheim
M. Steinke
F. Wellmann
P. Weßels
Author list of 1000+ members

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

Astrophysical Journal Letters
1
876
L7
2019
Type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz (reviewed)
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 Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (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_-32{\^}+40\,\mathrmkm\,{\rms}{\^}-1\,{\mathrmMpc}{\^}-1{\$}, which is consistent with both SN Ia and cosmic microwave background measurements of the Hubble constant. The quoted 68\% credible region comprises 60\% of the uniform prior range [20, 140] km s−1 Mpc−1, and it depends on the assumed prior range. If we take a broader prior of [10, 220] km s−1 Mpc−1, we find {\$}H_0=78_-24{\^}+96\,\mathrmkm\,{\rms}{\^}-1\,{\mathrmMpc}{\^}-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.