Date of Award

4-28-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Ted Bunn

Abstract

We examine the prospects for measurement of the Hubble parameter 𝐻0 via observation of the secular parallax of other galaxies due to our own motion relative to the cosmic microwave background rest frame. Peculiar velocities make distance measurements to individual galaxies highly uncertain, but a survey sampling many galaxies can still yield a precise 𝐻0 measurement. We use both a Fisher information formalism and simulations to forecast errors in 𝐻0 from such surveys, marginalizing over the unknown peculiar velocities. The optimum survey observes ∼ 102 galaxies within a redshift 𝐻0max = 0.06. The required errors on proper motion are comparable to those that can be achieved by Gaia and future astrometric instruments. A measurement of 𝐻0 via parallax has the potential to shed light on the tension between different measurements of 𝐻0.

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