A Model-independent Method to Determine $H_0$ Using Time-Delay Lensing, Quasars and Type Ia Supernovae

Absolute distances from strong lensing can anchor Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia) at cosmological distances giving a model-independent inference of the Hubble constant ($H_0$). Future observations could provide strong lensing time-delay distances with source redshifts up to $z\,\simeq\,4$, which are much higher than the maximum redshift of SNe Ia observed so far. In order to make full use of time-delay distances measured at higher redshifts, we use quasars as a complementary cosmic probe to measure cosmological distances at redshifts beyond those of SNe Ia and provide a model-independent method to determine $H_0$. In this work, we demonstrate a model-independent, joint constraint of SNe Ia, quasars, and time-delay distances from strong lensed quasars. We first generate mock data sets of SNe Ia, quasar, and time-delay distances based on a fiducial cosmological model. Then, we calibrate the quasar parameters model independently using Gaussian process (GP) regression with mock SNe Ia data. Finally, we determine the value of $H_0$ model-independently using GP regression from mock quasars and time-delay distances from strong lensing systems. As a comparison, we also show the $H_0$ results obtained from mock SNe Ia in combination with time-delay lensing systems whose redshifts overlap with SNe Ia. Our results show that quasars at higher redshifts show great potential to extend the redshift coverage of SNe Ia and thus enable the full use of strong lens time-delay distance measurements from ongoing cosmic surveys and improve the accuracy of the estimation of $H_0$ from $2.1\%$ to $1.3\%$ when the uncertainties of the time-delay distances are $5\%$ of the distance values.
Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ