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Main Authors: Sales, Lázaro L., de Farias, Klecio E. L., Queiroz, Amilcar R., Batista, Rafael A., Ribeiro, Bruno W., Santos, Raiff H.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01990
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author Sales, Lázaro L.
de Farias, Klecio E. L.
Queiroz, Amilcar R.
Batista, Rafael A.
Ribeiro, Bruno W.
Santos, Raiff H.
author_facet Sales, Lázaro L.
de Farias, Klecio E. L.
Queiroz, Amilcar R.
Batista, Rafael A.
Ribeiro, Bruno W.
Santos, Raiff H.
contents In this study, we use a sample of 130 well-localized fast radio bursts (FRBs) to constrain the physical baryon density $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$, and the astrophysical contribution from host galaxies. The cosmological dependence entering the intergalactic dispersion measure is described through a non-parametric reconstruction of the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ obtained from cosmic chronometer data using the \texttt{ReFANN} neural-network framework, independently of the FRB sample. Within a Bayesian analysis, we jointly infer $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$ and the parameters of a log-normal host-galaxy distribution, namely its median $e^μ$ and logarithmic scatter $σ_{\rm host}$, using both real FRB data and a mock catalog. For the real sample, we obtain $Ω_{\rm b}h^2=0.02236\pm0.00090$, $e^μ=178.15^{+16.51}_{-16.97}~\mathrm{pc}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, and $σ_{\rm host}=0.794^{+0.064}_{-0.067}$. For the mock catalog, we find $Ω_{\rm b}h^2=0.02248\pm0.00018$, $e^μ=182.36^{+6.83}_{-6.48}~\mathrm{pc}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, and $σ_{\rm host}=0.711^{+0.024}_{-0.025}$. The baryon density constraint from the real FRB sample is in excellent agreement with both Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Planck CMB determinations, differing from their central values by only $\simeq 0.05\%$. The mock analysis further illustrates the potential of future FRB samples, reducing the uncertainty on $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$ to the sub-percent level while remaining statistically consistent with early-Universe constraints. Our findings show that combining FRB dispersion measures with a non-parametric reconstruction of the expansion history provides a robust pathway to constrain both cosmological and astrophysical parameters, establishing FRBs as a complementary low-redshift probe of the baryon density.
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publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Constraints on the baryon density from fast radio bursts using a non-parametric reconstruction of the Hubble parameter
Sales, Lázaro L.
de Farias, Klecio E. L.
Queiroz, Amilcar R.
Batista, Rafael A.
Ribeiro, Bruno W.
Santos, Raiff H.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
In this study, we use a sample of 130 well-localized fast radio bursts (FRBs) to constrain the physical baryon density $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$, and the astrophysical contribution from host galaxies. The cosmological dependence entering the intergalactic dispersion measure is described through a non-parametric reconstruction of the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ obtained from cosmic chronometer data using the \texttt{ReFANN} neural-network framework, independently of the FRB sample. Within a Bayesian analysis, we jointly infer $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$ and the parameters of a log-normal host-galaxy distribution, namely its median $e^μ$ and logarithmic scatter $σ_{\rm host}$, using both real FRB data and a mock catalog. For the real sample, we obtain $Ω_{\rm b}h^2=0.02236\pm0.00090$, $e^μ=178.15^{+16.51}_{-16.97}~\mathrm{pc}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, and $σ_{\rm host}=0.794^{+0.064}_{-0.067}$. For the mock catalog, we find $Ω_{\rm b}h^2=0.02248\pm0.00018$, $e^μ=182.36^{+6.83}_{-6.48}~\mathrm{pc}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$, and $σ_{\rm host}=0.711^{+0.024}_{-0.025}$. The baryon density constraint from the real FRB sample is in excellent agreement with both Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and Planck CMB determinations, differing from their central values by only $\simeq 0.05\%$. The mock analysis further illustrates the potential of future FRB samples, reducing the uncertainty on $Ω_{\rm b}h^2$ to the sub-percent level while remaining statistically consistent with early-Universe constraints. Our findings show that combining FRB dispersion measures with a non-parametric reconstruction of the expansion history provides a robust pathway to constrain both cosmological and astrophysical parameters, establishing FRBs as a complementary low-redshift probe of the baryon density.
title Constraints on the baryon density from fast radio bursts using a non-parametric reconstruction of the Hubble parameter
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.01990