Enhanced Localization of Dark Lensed Gravitational Wave Events Enables Host Galaxy Identification and Precise Cosmological Inference

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Zhiwei, Yu, Qingjuan, Lu, Youjun, Guo, Xiao
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Chen, Zhiwei
Yu, Qingjuan
Lu, Youjun
Guo, Xiao
author_facet Chen, Zhiwei
Yu, Qingjuan
Lu, Youjun
Guo, Xiao
contents Lensed gravitational wave (GW) events are expected to be powerful new probes of cosmology, contingent on redshift measurement by electromagnetic observations. Host galaxy identification is thus crucial but challenging due to poor localization by GW signal alone. In this paper, we show that the third-generation ground-based GW detectors will detect a population of lensed events with three or more detectable images (including the central one), each arriving at distinct times and Earth locations in the space, forming an effective network that reduces the typical localization area to $\sim0.01$ deg$^2$. For at least $90\%$ (or $50\%$) of these events, the localization improves by more than a factor of $10$ (or $30$) comparing with unlensed cases. Such precise localization and multiple-image detections enable robust host-galaxy identification and, through lens modelling, further yield sub-arcsecond position. As ``dark lensed sirens", these events become powerful probes of cosmological parameters. Using simulated lensed compact-binary mergers, we show that two-year or longer observations with third-generation GW detectors can measure the Hubble constant to $\lesssim1$\% precision via ``dark lensed sirens" (even when relying solely on lensed stellar-mass binary black hole events), while simultaneously constraining other cosmological parameters. This approach will provide an independent, complementary avenue for measuring cosmological parameters.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_12470
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Enhanced Localization of Dark Lensed Gravitational Wave Events Enables Host Galaxy Identification and Precise Cosmological Inference
Chen, Zhiwei
Yu, Qingjuan
Lu, Youjun
Guo, Xiao
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Lensed gravitational wave (GW) events are expected to be powerful new probes of cosmology, contingent on redshift measurement by electromagnetic observations. Host galaxy identification is thus crucial but challenging due to poor localization by GW signal alone. In this paper, we show that the third-generation ground-based GW detectors will detect a population of lensed events with three or more detectable images (including the central one), each arriving at distinct times and Earth locations in the space, forming an effective network that reduces the typical localization area to $\sim0.01$ deg$^2$. For at least $90\%$ (or $50\%$) of these events, the localization improves by more than a factor of $10$ (or $30$) comparing with unlensed cases. Such precise localization and multiple-image detections enable robust host-galaxy identification and, through lens modelling, further yield sub-arcsecond position. As ``dark lensed sirens", these events become powerful probes of cosmological parameters. Using simulated lensed compact-binary mergers, we show that two-year or longer observations with third-generation GW detectors can measure the Hubble constant to $\lesssim1$\% precision via ``dark lensed sirens" (even when relying solely on lensed stellar-mass binary black hole events), while simultaneously constraining other cosmological parameters. This approach will provide an independent, complementary avenue for measuring cosmological parameters.
title Enhanced Localization of Dark Lensed Gravitational Wave Events Enables Host Galaxy Identification and Precise Cosmological Inference
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.12470