The Concerning S$H_0$ES Hubble Constant

Abstract

Concerns are raised regarding the S$H_0$ES results, and the present $H_0$ controversy. The S$H_0$ES $H_0\simeq 73$ km/s/Mpc has remained relatively unaltered across $18$ years (2005-2023), despite marked shifts in maser and Cepheid distances to the keystone galaxy NGC4258 (M106), and changes in the slope, zeropoint, metallicity, and extinction terms tied to the Leavitt Law, and notwithstanding uncertain photometry for remote Cepheids spanning galaxies with highly inhomogeneous crowding and surface brightness profiles. Concerns raised regarding the S$H_0$ES findings by fellow researchers are likewise highlighted. An independent blind assessment of the entire suite of raw HST Cepheid images is warranted, while being mindful of \textit{a priori} constraints and confirmation bias that unwittingly impact conclusions.

Part of a talk given at the VVVX Survey conference, hosted at the Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo (Oct. 2023)