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“Is There a Significant Hubble Tension?”

The question of whether there is new physics beyond our current standard model, Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) remains an unresolved issue in cosmology today. Recent measurements of the Hubble constant (Ho) using Cepheids and Type Ia supernovae (SNe) appear to differ significantly, with claims of up to 6-sigma, from values inferred from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) fluctuations. This discrepancy, if real, could indicate new physics beyond the standard model. I will give a status report on our Chicago Carnegie Hubble Program (CCHP) measuring Ho and present new results from  James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Over a period of decades, we  have developed three independent methods for measuring the distances to nearby galaxies that provide a calibration for SNe: Cepheid variables, Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) stars and J-Region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) stars. The Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on JWST is providing a vast improvement in  our ability to measure accurate distances to galaxies, and Ho.

Cody Hall

Prof. Wendy Freedman, University of Chicago

October 01, 2025
2:00pm - 3:00pm