A New Estimate of the Hubble Time with Improved Modeling of Gravitational Lenses

TL;DR

This paper improves gravitational lens modeling techniques to more accurately estimate the Hubble Time, combining Bayesian methods with enhanced algorithms and applying them to real data for a refined cosmological measurement.

Contribution

It introduces significant technical improvements in free-form gravitational lens modeling and applies these methods to estimate the Hubble Time from multiple lens systems.

Findings

Hubble Time estimated as 13.7 Gyr with uncertainties

Enhanced Bayesian pixelated mass map modeling

Validated methods with mock and real data

Abstract

This paper examines free-form modeling of gravitational lenses using Bayesian ensembles of pixelated mass maps. The priors and algorithms from previous work are clarified and significant technical improvements are made. Lens reconstruction and Hubble Time recovery are tested using mock data from simple analytic models and recent galaxy-formation simulations. Finally, using published data, the Hubble Time is inferred through the simultaneous reconstruction of eleven time-delay lenses. The result is H_0^{-1}=13.7^{+1.8}_{-1.0} Gyr.