No Arabic abstract
There is a persistent $H_0$-tension, now at more than $gtrsim 4sigma$ level, between the local distance ladder value and the emph{Planck} cosmic microwave background measurement, in the context of flat $Lambda$CDM model. We reconstruct $H(z)$ in a cosmological-model-independent way using three low-redshift distance probes including the latest data from baryon acoustic oscillation, Type Ia supernova and four gravitational lensing Time-Delay observations. We adopt general parametric models of $H(z)$ and assume a Gaussian prior on the sound horizon at drag epoch, $r_{mathrm s}$, from emph{Planck} measurement. The reconstructed $H_0$ using Pantheon SN Ia and BAO data are consistent with the emph{Planck} flat $Lambda$CDM value. When including the GLTD data, $H_0$ increases mildly, yet remaining discrepant with the local measurement at $sim 2.5sigma$ level. Our reconstructions being blind to the dark sectors at low redshift, we reaffirm the earlier claims that the Hubble tension is not likely to be solved by modifying the energy budget of the low-redshift universe. We further forecast the constraining ability of future realistic mock BAO data from DESI and GLTD data from LSST, combining which, we anticipate that the uncertainty of the inferred $H_0$ would be improved by $sim 38%$, reaching $sigma_{H_0} approx 0.56$ uncertainty level.
We test the distance--duality relation $eta equiv d_L / [ (1 + z)^2 d_A ] = 1$ between cosmological luminosity distance ($d_L$) from the JLA SNe Ia compilation (arXiv:1401.4064) and angular-diameter distance ($d_A$) based on Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS; arXiv:1607.03155) and WiggleZ baryon acoustic oscillation measurements (arXiv:1105.2862, arXiv:1204.3674). The $d_L$ measurements are matched to $d_A$ redshift by a statistically consistent compression procedure. With Monte Carlo methods, nontrivial and correlated distributions of $eta$ can be explored in a straightforward manner without resorting to a particular evolution template $eta(z)$. Assuming independent constraints on cosmological parameters that are necessary to obtain $d_L$ and $d_A$ values, we find 9% constraints consistent with $eta = 1$ from the analysis of SNIa + BOSS and an 18% bound results from SNIa + WiggleZ. These results are contrary to previous claims that $eta < 1$ has been found close to or above the $1 sigma$ level. We discuss the effect of different cosmological parameter inputs and the use of the apparent deviation from distance--duality as a proxy of systematic effects on cosmic distance measurements. The results suggest possible systematic overestimation of SNIa luminosity distances compared with $d_A$ data when a Planck {Lambda}CDM cosmological parameter inference (arXiv:1502.01589) is used to enhance the precision. If interpreted as an extinction correction due to a gray dust component, the effect is broadly consistent with independent observational constraints.
We derive the delay-time distribution (DTD) of type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using a sample of 132 SNe Ia, discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS2) among 66,000 galaxies with spectral-based star-formation histories (SFHs). To recover the best-fit DTD, the SFH of every individual galaxy is compared, using Poisson statistics, to the number of SNe that it hosted (zero or one), based on the method introduced in Maoz et al. (2011). This SN sample differs from the SDSS2 SN Ia sample analyzed by Brandt et al. (2010), using a related, but different, DTD recovery method. Furthermore, we use a simulation-based SN detection-efficiency function, and we apply a number of important corrections to the galaxy SFHs and SN Ia visibility times. The DTD that we find has 4-sigma detections in all three of its time bins: prompt (t < 420 Myr), intermediate (0.4 < t < 2.4 Gyr), and delayed (t > 2.4 Gyr), indicating a continuous DTD, and it is among the most accurate and precise among recent DTD reconstructions. The best-fit power-law form to the recovered DTD is t^(-1.12+/-0.08), consistent with generic ~t^-1 predictions of SN Ia progenitor models based on the gravitational-wave induced mergers of binary white dwarfs. The time integrated number of SNe Ia per formed stellar mass is N_SN/M = 0.00130 +/- 0.00015 Msun^-1, or about 4% of the stars formed with initial masses in the 3-8 Msun range. This is lower than, but largely consistent with, several recent DTD estimates based on SN rates in galaxy clusters and in local-volume galaxies, and is higher than, but consistent with N_SN/M estimated by comparing volumetric SN Ia rates to cosmic SFH.
We study the feasibility of detecting weak lensing spatial correlations between Supernova (SN) Type Ia magnitudes with present (Dark Energy Survey, DES) and future (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, LSST) surveys. We investigate the angular auto-correlation function of SN magnitudes (once the background cosmology has been subtracted) and cross-correlation with galaxy catalogues. We examine both analytical and numerical predictions, the latter using simulated galaxy catalogues from the MICE Grand Challenge Simulation. We predict that we will be unable to detect the SN auto-correlation in DES, while it should be detectable with the LSST SN deep fields (15,000 SNe on 70 deg^2) at ~6sigma level of confidence (assuming 0.15 magnitudes of intrinsic dispersion). The SN-galaxy cross-correlation function will deliver much higher signal-to-noise, being detectable in both surveys with an integrated signal-to-noise of ~100 (up to 30 arcmin separations). We predict joint constraints on the matter density parameter (Omega_m) and the clustering amplitude (sigma_8) by fitting the auto-correlation function of our mock LSST deep fields. When assuming a Gaussian prior for Omega_m, we can achieve a 25% measurement of sigma_8 from just these LSST supernovae (assuming 0.15 magnitudes of intrinsic dispersion). These constraints will improve significantly if the intrinsic dispersion of SNe Ia can be reduced.
Gravitational non-linear evolution induces a shift in the position of the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) peak together with a damping and broadening of its shape that bias and degrades the accuracy with which the position of the peak can be determined. BAO reconstruction is a technique developed to undo part of the effect of non-linearities. We present and analyse a reconstruction method that consists of displacing pixels instead of galaxies and whose implementation is easier than the standard reconstruction method. We show that this method is equivalent to the standard reconstruction technique in the limit where the number of pixels becomes very large. This method is particularly useful in surveys where individual galaxies are not resolved, as in 21cm intensity mapping observations. We validate this method by reconstructing mock pixelated maps, that we build from the distribution of matter and halos in real- and redshift-space, from a large set of numerical simulations. We find that this method is able to decrease the uncertainty in the BAO peak position by 30-50% over the typical angular resolution scales of 21 cm intensity mapping experiments.
It has recently been proposed that gravitationally lensed type-Ia supernovae can provide microlensing-free time-delay measurements provided that the measurement is taken during the achromatic expansion phase of the explosion and that color light curves are used rather than single-band light curves. If verified, this would provide both precise and accurate time-delay measurements, making lensed type-Ia supernovae a new golden standard for time-delay cosmography. However, the 3D geometry of the expanding shell can introduce an additional bias that has not yet been fully explored. In this work, we present and discuss the impact of this effect on time-delay cosmography with lensed supernovae and find that on average it leads to a bias of a few tenths of a day for individual lensed systems. This is negligible in view of the cosmological time delays predicted for typical lensed type-Ia supernovae but not for the specific case of the recently discovered type-Ia supernova iPTF16geu, whose time delays are expected to be smaller than a day.