Speaker
Description
The application of $V/V_{max}$ statistics to gravitational-wave cosmology aids in our understanding of compact object parameter evolution, particularly the redshift and mass distributions of binary systems. Transforming $V/V_{max}$ from a distance-dependent to a population-dependent diagnostic provides a direct pipeline for testing various gravitational-wave source distributions. Through this framework, we find support for a binary black hole source distribution favoring lower redshift evolution, modeled as $\rho(z) = (1+z)^k (dV_c/dz)$, particularly for lower values of $k$ (e.g., $k=1$ or $k=2$). Furthermore, we find that the $V/V_{max}$ methodology remains robust under minimal assumptions about the mass distribution, with negligible effect on $V/V_{max}$ values for individual events. Finally, we compare this methodology to Hierarchical Bayesian Inference, and why $V/V_{max}$ can act as a powerful tool for population statistics with O4 data.
