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 light 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 Ω m = 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.

We present distance measurements to 71 high redshift type Ia supernovae discovered during the first year of the 5-year Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS). These events were detected and their multi-color light-curves measured using the MegaPrime/MegaCam instrument at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), by repeatedly imaging four one-square degree fields in four bands, as part of the CFHT Legacy Survey (CFHTLS). Follow-up spectroscopy was performed at the VLT, Gemini and Keck telescopes to confirm the nature of the supernovae and to measure their redshift. With this data set, we have built a Hubble diagram extending to z = 1, with all distance measurements involving at least two bands. Systematic uncertainties are evaluated making use of the multi-band photometry obtained at CFHT. Cosmological fits to this first year SNLS Hubble diagram give the following results: Ω M = 0.263 ± 0.042 (stat) ± 0.032 (sys) for a flat ΛCDM model; and w = −1.023 ± 0.090 (stat) ± 0.054 (sys) for a flat cosmology with constant equation of state w when combined with the constraint from the recent Sloan Digital Sky Survey measurement of baryon acoustic oscillations.

Aims. We present an empirical model of type Ia supernovae spectro-photometric evolution with time. Methods. The model is built using a large data set including light-curves and spectra of both nearby and distant supernovae, the latter being observed by the SNLS collaboration. We derive the average spectral sequence of type Ia supernovae and their main variability components including a color variation law. The model allows us to measure distance moduli in the spectral range 2500−8000 Å with calculable uncertainties, including those arising from variability of spectral features.Results. Thanks to the use of high-redshift SNe to model the rest-frame UV spectral energy distribution, we are able to derive improved distance estimates for SNe Ia in the redshift range 0.8 < z < 1.1. The model can also be used to improve spectroscopic identification algorithms, and derive photometric redshifts of distant type Ia supernovae.

We combine high redshift Type Ia supernovae from the first 3 years of the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS) with other supernova (SN) samples, primarily at lower redshifts, to form a high-quality joint sample of 472 SNe (123 low-z, 93 SDSS, 242 SNLS, and 14 Hubble Space Telescope). SN data alone require cosmic acceleration at > 99.999% confidence, including systematic effects. For the dark energy equation of state parameter (assumed constant out to at least z = 1.4) in a flat universe, we find w = −0.91 +0.16 −0.20 (stat) +0.07 −0.14 (sys) from SNe only, consistent with a cosmological constant. Our fits include a correction for the recently discovered relationship between host-galaxy mass and SN absolute brightness. We pay particular attention to systematic uncertainties, characterizing them using a systematics covariance matrix that incorporates the redshift dependence of these effects, as well as the shape-luminosity and color-luminosity relationships. Unlike previous work, we include the effects of systematic terms on the empirical light-curve models. The total systematic uncertainty is dominated by calibration terms. We describe how the systematic uncertainties can be reduced with soon to be available improved nearby and intermediate-redshift samples, particularly those calibrated onto USNO/SDSS-like systems.Recently K09 ( §10.2.3) have presented evidence for a strong decrease in β with redshift

We have investigated the mass-metallicity (M-Z ) relation using galaxies at 0:4 < z < 1:0 from the Gemini Deep Deep Survey (GDDS) and Canada-France Redshift Survey (CFRS). Deep K-and z 0 -band photometry allowed us to measure stellar masses for 69 galaxies. From a subsample of 56 galaxies, for which metallicity of the interstellar medium is also measured, we identified a strong correlation between mass and metallicity for the first time in the distant universe. This was possible because of the larger baseline spanned by the sample in terms of metallicity (a factor of 7) and mass (a factor of 400) than in previous works. This correlation is much stronger and tighter than the luminosity-metallicity relation, confirming that stellar mass is a more meaningful physical parameter than luminosity. We find clear evidence for temporal evolution in the M-Z relation in the sense that at a given mass, a galaxy at z $ 0:7 tends to have lower metallicity than a local galaxy of similar mass. We use the z $ 0:1 Sloan Digital Sky Survey M-Z relation and a small sample of z $ 2:3 Lyman break galaxies with known mass and metallicity to propose an empirical redshift-dependent M-Z relation. According to this relation the stellar mass and metallicity in small galaxies evolve for a longer time than they do in massive galaxies. This relation predicts that the generally metal-poor damped Ly galaxies have stellar masses of the order of 10 8:8 M (with a dispersion of 0.7 dex) all the way from z $ 0:2 to 4. The observed redshift evolution of the M-Z relation can be reproduced remarkably well by a simple closed-box model in which the key assumption is an e-folding time for star formation that is higher or, in other words, a period of star formation that lasts longer in less massive galaxies than in more massive galaxies. Such a picture supports the downsizing scenario for galaxy formation.

The systematic errors in the virial mass-to-light ratio, M v /L, of galaxy clusters as an estimator of the field M/L value are assessed. We overlay 14 clusters in redshift space to create an ensemble cluster which averages over substructure and asymmetries. The combined sample, including background, contains about 1150 galaxies, extending to a projected radius of about twice r 200 . The radius r 200 , defined as where the mean interior density is 200 times the critical density, is expected to contain the bulk of the virialized cluster mass. The dynamically derivedoverestimate is attributed to not taking into account the surface pressure term in the virial equation. Under the assumption that the velocity anisotropy parameter is in the range 0 ≤ β ≤ 2 / 3 , the galaxy distribution accurately traces the mass profile beyond about the central 0.3r 200 . There are no color or luminosity gradients in the galaxy population beyond 2r 200 , but there is 0.11 ± 0.05 mag fading in the r band luminosities between the field and cluster galaxies. We correct the cluster virial mass-to-light ratio, M v /L = 289 ± 50h M ⊙ / L ⊙ (calculated assuming q 0 = 0.1), for the biases in M v and mean luminosity to estimate the field M/L = 213 ± 59h M ⊙ / L ⊙ . With our self-consistently derived field luminosity density, j/ρ c = 1136 ± 138h M ⊙ / L ⊙ (at z ≃ 1 / 3 ), the corrected M/L indicates Ω 0 = 0.19 ± 0.06 ± 0.04 (formal 1σ random error and estimated potential systematic errors) for those components of the mass field in rich clusters.

To re-examine the rich cluster $\Omega$ value the CNOC Cluster Survey has observed 16 high X-ray luminosity clusters in the redshift range 0.17 to 0.55, obtaining approximately 2600 velocities in their fields. Directly adding all the K and evolution corrected $r$ band light to $M_r(0)=-18.5$, about $0.2L_\ast$, and correcting for the light below the limit, the average mass-to-light ratio of the clusters is $283\pm27h\msun/\lsun$ and the average mass per galaxy is $3.5\pm0.4\times10^{12}h^{-1}\msun$. The clusters are consistent with having a universal $M_v/L$ value (within the errors of about 20\%) independent of their velocity dispersion, mean color of their galaxies, blue galaxy content, redshift, or mean interior density. Using field galaxies within the same data set, with the same corrections, we find that the closure mass-to-light, $\rho_c/j$, is $1160\pm130h\msun/\lsun$ and the closure mass per galaxy, $\rho_c/\phi(>0.2L_\ast)$, is $13.2\pm1.9\times10^{12}h^{-1}\msun$. Under the assumptions that the galaxies are distributed like the mass and that the galaxy luminosities and numbers are statistically conserved, which these data indirectly support, $\Omega_0=0.20\pm0.04\pm0.09$ where the errors are, respectively, the $1\sigma$ internal and an estimate of the $1\sigma$ systematic error resulting from the luminosity normalization.Comment: 34 page Latex document (no figures) requiring AAS macros. Postscript document (or uufile) availble at http://manaslu.astro.utoronto.ca/~carlberg/cnoc/general.htm

The galaxy merger and accretion rates, and their evolution with time, provide important tests for models of galaxy formation and evolution. Close pairs of galaxies are the best available means of measuring redshift evolution in these quantities. In this study, we introduce two new pair statistics, which relate close pairs to the merger and accretion rates. We demonstrate the importance of correcting these (and other) pair statistics for selection e †ects related to sample depth and completeness. In particular, we highlight the severe bias that can result from the use of a Ñux-limited survey. The Ðrst statistic, gives N c , the number of companions per galaxy within a speciÐed range in absolute magnitude.is directly N c related to the galaxy merger rate. The second statistic, gives the total luminosity in companions, per L c , galaxy. This quantity can be used to investigate the mass accretion rate. Both and are related to N c L c the galaxy correlation function m and luminosity function /(M) in a straightforward manner. Both statistics have been designed with selection e †ects in mind. We outline techniques that account for various selection e †ects and demonstrate the success of this approach using Monte Carlo simulations. If one assumes that clustering is independent of luminosity (which is appropriate for reasonable ranges in luminosity), then these statistics may be applied to Ñux-limited surveys. These techniques are applied to a sample of 5426 galaxies in the Second Southern Sky Redshift Survey (SSRS2). This is the Ðrst large, well-deÐned low-z survey to be used for pair statistics. Using close (5 h~1 h~1 kpc) kpc ¹ r p ¹ 20 dynamical (*v ¹ 500 km s~1) pairs, we Ðnd andat z \ 0.015. These are the Ðrst secure estimates of low-L _ redshift pair statistics, and they will provide local benchmarks for ongoing and future pair studies. If N c remains Ðxed with redshift, simple assumptions imply that D6.6% of present day galaxies with have undergone mergers since z \ 1. When applied to redshift surveys of more [21 ¹ M B ¹ [18 distant galaxies, these techniques will yield the Ðrst robust estimates of evolution in the galaxy merger and accretion rates.