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First measurement of the Hubble constant from gravitational wave-galaxy cross-correlations

Isabela Santiago de Matos, Charles Dalang, Tessa Baker, Raul Abramo, João Ferri, Miguel Quartin

Abstract

We measure for the first time the Hubble constant ($H_0$) from the cross-correlation of galaxies and gravitational waves (GW), by applying the $\textit{Peak Sirens}$ method. This method consists of finding the peak of the 3D angular cross-spectrum $C_{\ell}(z,D_L)$ between the galaxy redshifts ($z$) and the GW luminosity distances ($D_L$). Using two GW events from the GWTC-3.0 catalog and the GLADE+ galaxy catalog, we make the first detection of the cross-correlation peak at $5.9σ$ confidence. This signal comes mostly from the best localized event in the catalog, GW190814, which alone provides a $3.4σ$ significance. Adding also the multimessenger event GW170817, but without using its known redshift, we find $H_0 = 67^{+18}_{-15}$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$ and the first observational constraint on the GW bias, $b_{\rm gw} < 4.3$ at 95% CI. These measurements set the stage for future novel cosmological constraints with this technique.

First measurement of the Hubble constant from gravitational wave-galaxy cross-correlations

Abstract

We measure for the first time the Hubble constant () from the cross-correlation of galaxies and gravitational waves (GW), by applying the method. This method consists of finding the peak of the 3D angular cross-spectrum between the galaxy redshifts () and the GW luminosity distances (). Using two GW events from the GWTC-3.0 catalog and the GLADE+ galaxy catalog, we make the first detection of the cross-correlation peak at confidence. This signal comes mostly from the best localized event in the catalog, GW190814, which alone provides a significance. Adding also the multimessenger event GW170817, but without using its known redshift, we find km sMpc and the first observational constraint on the GW bias, at 95% CI. These measurements set the stage for future novel cosmological constraints with this technique.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 1 section, 6 equations, 3 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Appendix: Simulations

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Angular cross-correlations between GLADE+ and GW190814, GW170817. Left: Sum over multipoles $\ell \in [14,69]$ of the $C_\ell$s as a function of galaxy $z$ and GW $D_L$. Regions corresponding to $H_0$ outside the prior range $[20,120]$km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ (grey dashed and dotted curves) are set to zero for visualization purposes. The magenta curve illustrates how the Planck cosmology compares with the data. Right: Same but obtained from an average over our set of simulations in the fiducial cosmology, with $b_{\mathrm{gw}} = 2$. The bright regions correspond to the peaks in the cross-correlation signal generated by events GW170817 (bottom left corner) and GW190814 (central region) and reveal the Hubble diagram.
  • Figure 2: $\Delta \chi^2$ between the null hypothesis (noise-only) and the model with a cross-correlation signal, for correlations with GW190814 only (left) and additionally GW170817 (right). The data (grey dashed lines) considerably prefers, with its large $\Delta \chi^2$, the signal-model against the noise-model. The solid lines are derived from the Fréchet distribution fits for the individual $\chi^2$ histograms.
  • Figure 3: 68% and 95% CI for the cross-correlations of GLADE+ with only GW190814 (orange) and with both GW190814 and the BNS GW170817 as a dark siren (blue). We also show the $H_0$ posterior from GWTC-4.0 dark sirens analysis (grey, dashed) for reference LIGOScientific:2025jau.