H2O Megamaser Cosmology with the ngVLA
As a complement to observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, a
measurement of the Hubble Constant at z < 0.5 provides a powerful test
of LCDM cosmology and constrains the equation of state of dark energy.
Observations of circumnuclear water vapor megamasers at 22 GHz in nearby
active galaxies can be used to measure distances to the host galaxies,
geometrically, and thereby provide a direct, one step measurement of the
Hubble Constant, independent of standard candles. Observations of
megamasers with present-day instrumentation are expected to reach a ~4%
H0 measurement. A long-term goal of the observational cosmology
community is to attain a one percent measurement of H0 in agreement
across several independent methods to minimize the systematics. We will
discuss the opportunity to reach a ~1% H0 measurement using the
megamaser method by taking advantage of the sensitivity at 22 GHz
afforded by the ngVLA.