Improved cosmological constraints from a joint analysis of the SDSS-II and SNLS supernova samples

M. Betoule, R. Kessler, J. Guy, J. Mosher, D. Hardin, R. Biswas, P. Astier, P. El-Hage, M. Konig, S. Kuhlmann, J. Marriner, R. Pain, N. Regnault, C. Balland, B. A. Bassett, P. J. Brown, H. Campbell, R. G. Carlberg, F. Cellier-Holzem, D. CinabroA. Conley, C. B. D'Andrea, D. L. DePoy, M. Doi, R. S. Ellis, S. Fabbro, A. V. Filippenko, R. J. Foley, J. A. Frieman, D. Fouchez, L. Galbany, A. Goobar, R. R. Gupta, G. J. Hill, R. Hlozek, C. J. Hogan, I. M. Hook, D. A. Howell, S. W. Jha, L. Le Guillou, G. Leloudas, C. Lidman, J. L. Marshall, A. Möller, A. M. Mourão, J. Neveu, R. Nichol, M. D. Olmstead, N. Palanque-Delabrouille, S. Perlmutter, J. L. Prieto, C. J. Pritchet, M. Richmond, A. G. Riess, V. Ruhlmann-Kleider, M. Sako, K. Schahmaneche, D. P. Schneider, M. Smith, J. Sollerman, M. Sullivan, N. A. Walton, C. J. Wheeler

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Abstract

Aims: We present cosmological constraints from a joint analysis of type Ia supernova (SN Ia) observations obtained by the SDSS-II and SNLS collaborations. The dataset includes several low-redshift samples (z< 0.1), all three seasons from the SDSS-II (0.05 <z< 0.4), and three years from SNLS (0.2 <z< 1), and it totals 740 spectroscopically confirmed type Ia supernovae with high quality curves.

Methods: We followed the methods and assumptions of the SNLS three-year data analysis except for the following important improvements: 1) the addition of the full SDSS-II spectroscopically-confirmed SN Ia sample in both the training of the SALT2 light-curve model and in the Hubble diagram analysis (374 SNe); 2) intercalibration of the SNLS and SDSS surveys and reduced systematic uncertainties in the photometric calibration, performed blindly with respect to the cosmology analysis; and 3) a thorough investigation of systematic errors associated with the SALT2 modeling of SN Ia light curves.

Results: We produce recalibrated SN Ia light curves and associated distances for the SDSS-II and SNLS samples. The large SDSS-II sample provides an effective, independent, low-z anchor for the Hubble diagram and reduces the systematic error from calibration systematics in the low-z SN sample. For a flat ΛCDM cosmology, we find Ωm =0.295 ± 0.034 (stat+sys), a value consistent with the most recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurement from the Planck and WMAP experiments. Our result is 1.8σ (stat+sys) different than the previously published result of SNLS three-year data. The change is due primarily to improvements in the SNLS photometric calibration. When combined with CMB constraints, we measure a constant dark-energy equation of state parameter w =−1.018 ± 0.057 (stat+sys) for a flat universe. Adding baryon acoustic oscillation distance measurements gives similar constraints: w =−1.027 ± 0.055. Our supernova measurements provide the most stringent constraints to date on the nature of dark energy.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberA22
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume568
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Aug 2014

Keywords

  • astro-ph.CO
  • cosmology: observations
  • distance scale
  • dark energy

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