A model-independent measurement of the Hubble constant from gravitational-wave standard sirens and electromagnetic observations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a model-independent method using Gaussian processes and combines electromagnetic and gravitational-wave data to measure the Hubble constant, finding results consistent with previous electromagnetic-based measurements and reducing the Hubble tension.

Contribution

It presents a novel, fully model-independent approach that integrates gravitational-wave standard siren data with electromagnetic observations to estimate the Hubble constant.

Findings

Measurements are consistent with SH0ES results, with less than 2σ tension.

The method demonstrates the impact of gravitational-wave data on Hubble constant estimation.

The approach reduces the Hubble tension by providing an independent measurement.

Abstract

The Hubble tension is one of the most significant challenges in modern cosmology. Developing new approaches to estimate the Hubble constant is therefore crucial, and in this work, we employ a Gaussian process, a fully model-independent method that relies solely on observational data. To determine the Hubble constant, we use not only electromagnetic observations but also include gravitational-wave standard siren data from GWTC3. Our measurements of the Hubble constant are strongly consistent with the SH0ES result, with tensions less than $2\sigma$, indicating no statistically significant discrepancy. This approach quantifies the impact of gravitational-wave data on the determination of the Hubble constant, examines its consistency with electromagnetic measurements, and explores its potential role in addressing the Hubble tension.