Determining the Hubble constant without the sound horizon: Measurements from galaxy surveys

Two sources of geometric information are encoded in the galaxy power spectrum: the sound horizon at recombination and the horizon at matter-radiation equality. Analyzing the BOSS 12th data release galaxy power spectra using perturbation theory with Omega(m) priors from Pantheon supernovae but no priors on Omega(b), we obtain constraints on H-0 from the second scale, finding H-0 = 65.1(-5.4)(+3.0) km s(-1) Mpc(-1); this differs from the best fit of SHOES at 95% confidence. Similar results are obtained if Omega(m) is constrained from uncalibrated baryon acoustic oscillations: H-0 = 65.6(-5.5)(+3.4) km s(-1) Mpc(-1). Adding the analogous lensing results from Baxter and Sherwin from 2020, the posterior shifts to 70.6(-5.0)(+3.7) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) Using mock data, Fisher analyses, and scale cuts, we demonstrate that our constraints do not receive significant information from the sound horizon scale. Since many models resolve the Ho controversy by adding new physics to alter the sound horizon, our measurements are a consistency test for standard cosmology before recombination. A simple forecast indicates that such constraints could reach also sigma(H0) similar or equal to 1.6 km s(-1)Mpc(-1) in the era of Euclid.

Automated summary

By analyzing galaxy power spectra in cosmology, constraints on cosmological parameters were obtained, demonstrating that these constraints do not receive significant information from the sound horizon scale. Different sources and analysis methods were used to test the consistency of standard cosmology.