A new method to test the cosmic distance duality relation using the strongly lensed gravitational waves

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method using strongly lensed gravitational waves to simultaneously measure angular diameter and luminosity distances, enabling precise tests of the cosmic distance duality relation.

Contribution

It presents the first approach to concurrently determine both distances from the same source using gravitational lensing and gravitational wave observations.

Findings

Potential to test the cosmic distance duality relation at several percent accuracy with future detectors.

First method to measure both distances simultaneously from the same gravitational wave source.

Provides a new observational tool for fundamental cosmological tests.

Abstract

We propose a new method to test the cosmic distance duality relation using the strongly lensed gravitational waves. The simultaneous observations of image positions, the relative time delay between different images, the redshift measurements of lens and source, together with the mass modelling of the lens galaxy, provide the angular diameter distance to the gravitational wave source. On the other hand, from the observation of gravitational wave signals the luminosity distance to the source can be obtained. This is to our knowledge the first method to simultaneously measure both the angular diameter distance and luminosity distance from the same source. Thus, the strongly lensed gravitational waves provide a unique way to test the cosmic distance duality relation. With the construction of the third generation gravitational detectors such as the Einstein Telescope in the future, it is possible to test the cosmic distance duality relation at an accuracy of several percent.