Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration; KAGRA Collaboration

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb

Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3

The LIGO Scientific Collaboration
, Virgo Collaboration
, KAGRA Collaboration

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

California Institute of Technology
Institute of Science Tokyo
University of Salerno
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
Monash University
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Louisiana State University
Australian National University
Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)
Leibniz University Hannover
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics India
University of Cambridge
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
University of Birmingham
Northwestern University
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
Cardiff University
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
University of Turin
University of Glasgow
University of Naples Federico II
Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1
The University of Tokyo
University of Barcelona
Université Savoie Mont Blanc
ICREA
Gran Sasso Science Institute
University of Strathclyde
University of Udine
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Université Côte d'Azur
University of Amsterdam
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
University of Camerino
American University Washington DC
California State University Fullerton
Université Paris Cité
Université Paris-Saclay
European Gravitational Observatory
Georgia Institute of Technology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

193 Scopus citations

Abstract

We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO-Virgo-Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H(z), including its current value, the Hubble constant H0. Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H(z). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34Me, followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with the redshift results in a H(z) measurement, yielding H0 = 68+12-8 km s-1 Mpc-1 (68% credible interval) when combined with the H0 measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17% with respect to the H0 estimate from GWTC-1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+, statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event's potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of H0 = 68+8-6 km s-1 Mpc-1 with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42% with respect to our GWTC-1 result and 20% with respect to recent H0 studies using GWTC-2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution; the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about H0) is the well-localized event GW190814.

Original language	English
Article number	76
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	949
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb
State	Published - Jun 1 2023

Keywords

Gravitational wave astronomy
Gravitational wave sources
Gravitational waves

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10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb

Cite this

@article{b50f49aa7e73461bb4f9c20537e653a3,

title = "Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3",

abstract = "We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO-Virgo-Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H(z), including its current value, the Hubble constant H0. Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H(z). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34Me, followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with the redshift results in a H(z) measurement, yielding H0 = 68+12-8 km s-1 Mpc-1 (68\% credible interval) when combined with the H0 measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17\% with respect to the H0 estimate from GWTC-1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+, statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event's potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of H0 = 68+8-6 km s-1 Mpc-1 with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42\% with respect to our GWTC-1 result and 20\% with respect to recent H0 studies using GWTC-2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution; the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about H0) is the well-localized event GW190814.",

keywords = "Gravitational wave astronomy, Gravitational wave sources, Gravitational waves",

author = "\{The LIGO Scientific Collaboration\} and \{Virgo Collaboration\} and \{KAGRA Collaboration\} and R. Abbott and H. Abe and F. Acernese and K. Ackley and N. Adhikari and Adhikari, \{R. X.\} and Adkins, \{V. K.\} and Adya, \{V. B.\} and C. Affeldt and D. Agarwal and M. Agathos and K. Agatsuma and N. Aggarwal and Aguiar, \{O. D.\} and L. Aiello and A. Ain and P. Ajith and T. Akutsu and S. Albanesi and Alfaidi, \{R. A.\} and A. Allocca and Altin, \{P. A.\} and A. Amato and C. Anand and S. Anand and A. Ananyeva and Anderson, \{S. B.\} and Anderson, \{W. G.\} and M. Ando and T. Andrade and N. Andres and M. Andres-Carcasona and T. Andric and Angelova, \{S. V.\} and S. Ansoldi and Antelis, \{J. M.\} and S. Antier and T. Apostolatos and Appavuravther, \{E. Z.\} and S. Appert and Apple, \{S. K.\} and K. Arai and A. Araya and Araya, \{M. C.\} and Areeda, \{J. S.\} and M. Arene and N. Aritomi and N. Arnaud and M. Arogeti and C. Markakis",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. The Author(s).",

year = "2023",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb",

language = "English",

volume = "949",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3

AU - The LIGO Scientific Collaboration

AU - Virgo Collaboration

AU - KAGRA Collaboration

AU - Abbott, R.

AU - Abe, H.

AU - Acernese, F.

AU - Ackley, K.

AU - Adhikari, N.

AU - Adhikari, R. X.

AU - Adkins, V. K.

AU - Adya, V. B.

AU - Affeldt, C.

AU - Agarwal, D.

AU - Agathos, M.

AU - Agatsuma, K.

AU - Aggarwal, N.

AU - Aguiar, O. D.

AU - Aiello, L.

AU - Ain, A.

AU - Ajith, P.

AU - Akutsu, T.

AU - Albanesi, S.

AU - Alfaidi, R. A.

AU - Allocca, A.

AU - Altin, P. A.

AU - Amato, A.

AU - Anand, C.

AU - Anand, S.

AU - Ananyeva, A.

AU - Anderson, S. B.

AU - Anderson, W. G.

AU - Ando, M.

AU - Andrade, T.

AU - Andres, N.

AU - Andres-Carcasona, M.

AU - Andric, T.

AU - Angelova, S. V.

AU - Ansoldi, S.

AU - Antelis, J. M.

AU - Antier, S.

AU - Apostolatos, T.

AU - Appavuravther, E. Z.

AU - Appert, S.

AU - Apple, S. K.

AU - Arai, K.

AU - Araya, A.

AU - Araya, M. C.

AU - Areeda, J. S.

AU - Arene, M.

AU - Aritomi, N.

AU - Arnaud, N.

AU - Arogeti, M.

AU - Markakis, C.

PY - 2023/6/1

Y1 - 2023/6/1

N2 - We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO-Virgo-Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H(z), including its current value, the Hubble constant H0. Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H(z). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34Me, followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with the redshift results in a H(z) measurement, yielding H0 = 68+12-8 km s-1 Mpc-1 (68% credible interval) when combined with the H0 measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17% with respect to the H0 estimate from GWTC-1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+, statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event's potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of H0 = 68+8-6 km s-1 Mpc-1 with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42% with respect to our GWTC-1 result and 20% with respect to recent H0 studies using GWTC-2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution; the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about H0) is the well-localized event GW190814.

AB - We use 47 gravitational wave sources from the Third LIGO-Virgo-Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3) to estimate the Hubble parameter H(z), including its current value, the Hubble constant H0. Each gravitational wave (GW) signal provides the luminosity distance to the source, and we estimate the corresponding redshift using two methods: the redshifted masses and a galaxy catalog. Using the binary black hole (BBH) redshifted masses, we simultaneously infer the source mass distribution and H(z). The source mass distribution displays a peak around 34Me, followed by a drop-off. Assuming this mass scale does not evolve with the redshift results in a H(z) measurement, yielding H0 = 68+12-8 km s-1 Mpc-1 (68% credible interval) when combined with the H0 measurement from GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart. This represents an improvement of 17% with respect to the H0 estimate from GWTC-1. The second method associates each GW event with its probable host galaxy in the catalog GLADE+, statistically marginalizing over the redshifts of each event's potential hosts. Assuming a fixed BBH population, we estimate a value of H0 = 68+8-6 km s-1 Mpc-1 with the galaxy catalog method, an improvement of 42% with respect to our GWTC-1 result and 20% with respect to recent H0 studies using GWTC-2 events. However, we show that this result is strongly impacted by assumptions about the BBH source mass distribution; the only event which is not strongly impacted by such assumptions (and is thus informative about H0) is the well-localized event GW190814.

KW - Gravitational wave astronomy

KW - Gravitational wave sources

KW - Gravitational waves

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85163895637

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac74bb

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85163895637

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 949

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 76

ER -

Constraints on the Cosmic Expansion History from GWTC-3

Abstract

Keywords

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