An updated Gamma Ray Bursts Hubble diagram

Abstract

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have recently attracted much attention as a possible way to extend the Hubble diagram to very high redshift. To this aim, the luminosity (or isotropic emitted energy) of a GRB at redshift z must be evaluated from a correlation with a distance independent quantity so that one can then solve for the luminosity distance D_L(z) and hence the distance modulus mu(z). Averaging over five different two parameters correlations and using a fiducial cosmological model to calibrate them, Schaefer (2007) has compiled a sample of 69 GRBs with measured mu(z) which has since then been widely used to constrain cosmological parameters. We update here that sample by many aspects. First, we add a recently found correlation for the X - ray afterglow and use a Bayesian inspired fitting method to calibrate the different GRBs correlations known insofar assuming a fiducial LCDM model in agreement with the recent WMAP5 data. Averaging over six correlations, we end with a new GRBs Hubble diagram comprising 83 objects. We also extensively explore the impact of varying the fiducial cosmological model considering how the estimated mu(z) change as a function of the $(Ω_M, w_0, w_a)$ parameters of the Chevallier - Polarski - Linder phenomenological dark energy equation of state. In order to avoid the need of assuming an {\it a priori} cosmological model, we present a new calibration procedure based on a model independent local regression estimate of mu(z) using the Union SNeIa sample to calibrate the GRBs correlations. This finally gives us a GRBs Hubble diagram made out of 69 GRBs whose estimated distance modulus mu(z) is almost independent on the underlying cosmological model.

version accepted for publication on MNRAS; 19 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables; contains two new sections on the analysis of systematic errors and cosmological constraints using present day and forecasts on future data