Abstract
This paper is a review on the observational Hubble parameter data that have gained increasing attention in recent years for their illuminating power on the dark side of the universe: the dark matter, dark energy, and the dark age. Currently, there are two major methods of independent observational H(z) measurement, which we summarize as the “differential age method” and the “radial BAO size method.” Starting with fundamental cosmological notions such as the spacetime coordinates in an expanding universe, we present the basic principles behind the two methods. We further review the two methods in greater detail, including the source of errors. We show how the observational H(z) data present itself as a useful tool in the study of cosmological models and parameter constraint, and we also discuss several issues associated with their applications. Finally, we point the reader to a future prospect of upcoming observation programs that will lead to some major improvements in the quality of observational H(z) data.
Highlights
The expansion of our universe has been one of the greatest attractions of scientific talents since the seminal work of Edwin Powell Hubble [1] in 1929
We explore the spatial distribution of matter in the universe and focus on its statistical features, such as the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) peaks in the two-point correlation function of the density field
We reviewed the current status of observationally measured Hubble parameter data
Summary
The expansion of our universe has been one of the greatest attractions of scientific talents since the seminal work of Edwin Powell Hubble [1] in 1929. Since the days of Hubble, advances in technology have enabled astronomers to measure the light from increasingly deeper space and more ancient time and our ideas of the entire history of the expanding universe have been gradually converging into a unified picture of the Big Bang-Cold Dark Matter universe In this picture, the dominating form of energy density transited from radiation to dark matter, and relics of primordial perturbation were imprinted on today’s observable CMB anisotropy and large-scale structures (LSS). It can help with the determination of important parameters that affects the evolution of the universe, and reconstruct the history around key events such as the turning point from deceleration to acceleration As observable, it manifests itself in various forms in different eras, especially in the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) features in the LSS that may be detectable in the dark age.
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