The Gamma-Ray Burst Hubble Diagram and Its Cosmological Implications

Abstract

In this paper, we continue to build support for the proposal to use gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as standard candles in constructing the Hubble Diagram at redshifts beyond the current reach of Type Ia supernova observations. We confirm that correlations among certain spectral and lightcurve features can indeed be used as luminosity indicators, and demonstrate from the most up-to-date GRB sample appropriate for this work that the $\Lambda$CDM model optimized with these data is characterized by parameter values consistent with those in the concordance model. Specifically, we find that $({\Omega }_m,{\Omega }_{\Lambda })\approx (0.25_{-0.06}^{+0.05},0.75_{-0.05}^{+0.06})$, which are consistent, to within $1\sigma$, with $(0.29,0.71)$ obtained from the 9-yr WMAP data. We also carry out a comparative analysis between $\Lambda$CDM and the $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ Universe and find that the optimal $\Lambda$CDM model fits the GRB Hubble Diagram with a reduced ${\chi }_{\mathrm{dof}}^2\approx 2.26$, whereas the fit using $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ results in a ${\chi }_{\mathrm{dof}}^2\approx 2.14$. In both cases, about 20% of the events lie at least $2\sigma$ away from the best-fit curves, suggesting that either some contamination by non-standard GRB luminosities is unavoidable, or that the errors and intrinsic scatter associated with the data are being underestimated. With these optimized fits, we use three statistical tools---the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), the Kullback Information Criterion (KIC), and the Bayes Information Criterion (BIC)---to show that, based on the GRB Hubble Diagram, the likelihood of $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ being closer to the correct model is $\sim 85-96$, compared to $\sim 4-15$ for $\Lambda$CDM.

39 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

References in corpus (16)

• An enigmatic long-lasting gamma-ray burst not accompanied by a bright supernova
• The Hubble Diagram to Redshift >6 from 69 Gamma-Ray Bursts
• REM observations of GRB 060418 and GRB 060607A: the onset of the afterglow and the initial fireball Lorentz factor determination
• A Cosmology-Independent Calibration of Gamma-Ray Burst Luminosity Relations and the Hubble Diagram
• A Comprehensive Analysis of Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Data: II. $E_{\mathrm{p}}$-Evolution Patterns and Implications for the Observed Spectrum-Luminosity Relations
• The line-of-sight towards GRB 030429 at z = 2.66: Probing the matter at stellar, galactic and intergalactic scales
• The Epeak-Eiso plane of long Gamma Ray Bursts and selection effects
• Confirming the gamma-ray burst spectral-energy correlations in the era of multiple time breaks
• Optical Photometry of GRB 021004: The First Month
• Absorption Systems in the Spectrum of GRB 021004
• High-z Quasars in the R_h=ct Universe
• The complex light-curve of the afterglow of GRB071010A
• Optical and X-Ray Observations of GRB 060526: A Complex Afterglow Consistent with An Achromatic Jet Break
• Constraining the evolution of dark energy with type Ia supernovae and gamma-ray bursts
• Gamma-ray burst contributions to constraining the evolution of dark energy
• Spectral catalogue of bright gamma-ray bursts detected with the BeppoSAX/GRBM

Cited by in corpus (59)

• Tension and constraints on modified gravity parametrizations of $G_{\text{eff}}(z)$ from growth rate and Planck data
• Gamma-ray Burst Cosmology
• Cosmic Chronometers in the R_h=ct Universe
• Measuring cosmological parameters with Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Dark energy equation of state parameter and its variation at low redshifts
• Cosmological Models and Gamma-Ray Bursts Calibrated by Using Pade Method
• A Comparative Analysis of the Supernova Legacy Survey Sample with ΛCDM and the $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ Universe
• Cosmological Tests Using GRBs, the Star Formation Rate and Possible Abundance Evolution
• A comparison of the R_h=ct and LCDM cosmologies using the Cosmic Distance Duality Relation
• The Linear Growth of Structure in the R_h=ct Universe
• Physical Basis for the Symmetries in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Metric
• The Premature Formation of High Redshift Galaxies
• The HII Galaxy Hubble Diagram Strongly Favors $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ over $\Lambda$CDM
• On Recent Claims Concerning the R_h=ct Universe
• Probing cosmic opacity at high redshifts with gamma-ray bursts
• A Test of Cosmological Models using high-z Measurements of H(z)
• The three-parameter correlations about optical plateaus of gamma-ray bursts
• Is the Hubble diagram of quasars in tension with concordance cosmology?
• High Redshift Standard Candles: Predicted Cosmological Constraints
• Reconstruction of the HII Galaxy Hubble Diagram using Gaussian Processes
• Statistical study of gamma-ray bursts with jet break feature in multi-wavelength afterglow emissions
• Alcock-Paczynski Test with Model-independent BAO Data
• Model-independent distance calibration of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts and constrain on the $\Lambda$CDM model
• Cosmological test with the QSO Hubble diagram
• A Comparison of Cosmological Models Using Strong Gravitational Lensing Galaxies
• A Comparison of Cosmological Models Using Time Delay Lenses
• The High-z Quasar Hubble Diagram
• The Epoch of Reionization in the R_h=ct Universe
• Constraining the Anisotropy of the Universe from Supernovae and Gamma-ray Bursts
• Cosmological Tests Using the Angular Size of Galaxy Clusters
• A Further Test of Lorentz Violation from the Rest-Frame Spectral Lags of Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Impact of a locally measured H_0 on the interpretation of cosmic chronometer data
• The Cosmic Equation of State
• Are long gamma-ray bursts standard candles?
• Redshift evolution of the Amati relation: calibrated results from the Hubble diagram of quasars at high redshifts
• Testing Cosmological Models with Type Ic Super Luminous Supernovae
• The fate of bound systems through Sudden Future Singularities
• Gamma-ray burst cosmology: Hubble diagram and star formation history
• The Age-Redshift Relationship of Old Passive Galaxies
• Cosmological Tests with the FSRQ Gamma-ray Luminosity Function
• Cosmological Tests With Strong Gravitational Lenses using Gaussian Processes
• GRBs and fundamental physics
• A Two-point Diagnostic for the HII Galaxy Hubble Diagram
• Friedmann-Robertson-Walker models do not require zero active mass
• Cosmological Tests with the Joint Lightcurve Analysis
• Constancy of the Cluster Gas Mass Fraction in the R_h=ct Universe
• Probing alternative cosmologies through the inverse distance ladder
• The $R_{\mathrm{h}}=ct$ universe and quintessence
• Utilizing the Updated Gamma-Ray Bursts and Type Ia Supernovae to Constrain the Cardassian Expansion Model and Dark Energy
• Assessing the foundation and applicability of some dark energy fluid models in the Dirac-Born-Infeld framework
• Reassessing Dust's Role in Forming the CMB
• Unseen Progenitors of Luminous High-z Quasars in the R_h=ct Universe
• Exploring the potentiality of standard sirens to probe cosmic opacity at high redshifts
• The AGN Hubble Diagram and Its Implications for Cosmology
• Determination of Cosmological Parameters from Gamma Ray Burst Characteristics and Afterglow Correlations
• Puzzling initial conditions in the R_h=ct model
• Model Selection based on the Angular-Diameter Distance to the Compact Structure in Radio Quasars
• Cosmological Perturbations without Inflation
• Tantalizing New Physics from the Cosmic Purview