Toward Bayesian photometric cosmic chronometers: Application to VIPERS

Abstract

The cosmic chronometer (CC) method provides a direct measurement of the expansion history of the universe, $H(z)$, from the differential ages of passively evolving galaxies. However, most CC analyses rely on high-quality spectroscopy to select passive galaxies, measure age-sensitive spectral features, and control stellar-population systematics. We build on existing works that use the D4000 spectral break as a proxy for measuring galaxy ages and apply it to a photometry-selected galaxy sample from VIPERS PDR2 in the range $0.5\le z\le 0.8$. Our goal is to extend the scope of the standard CC framework to photometric surveys. To achieve this, we first selected a massive and passive galaxy sample using rest-frame colors and mass. Second, we designed a Bayesian framework to infer full galaxy age posteriors in fine redshift bins, using a D4000-age-metallicity grid from stellar population synthesis models. We marginalized over metallicity, using a Gaussian metallicity prior to break the D4000-age-metallicity degeneracy. Subsequently, we derived age-difference posteriors between redshift bins by convolving their age posteriors. Finally, using the median and errors extracted from the differential age posteriors, we calculated the weighted average $H(z)$ over our selected redshift range. We obtain $H(z=0.65)=93.68\pm 28.27(stat.)\pm 10.67(syst.)\mathrm{km}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}\mathrm{Mp}{\mathrm{c}}^{-1}$, which is consistent with existing spectroscopic CC measurements and with the $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) model prediction from Planck at the same redshift. This result provides a proof of concept for extending direct $H(z)$ measurements from cosmic chronometers to photometric and spectro-photometric surveys, where larger samples can compensate for lower spectral resolution, provided that passive-galaxy selection, metallicity priors, and stellar-population systematics are carefully controlled.

arXiv comment22 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A