We present spectral and photometric observations of 10 type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the redshift range 0.16 ≤ z ≤ 0.62. The luminosity distances of these objects are determined by methods that employ relations between SN Ia luminosity and light curve shape. Combined with previous data from our High-Z Supernova Search Team (Garnavich et al. 1998;Schmidt et al. 1998) and Riess et al. (1998a), this expanded set of 16 high-redshift supernovae and a set of 34 nearby supernovae are used to place constraints on the following cosmological parameters: the Hubble constant (H 0 ), the mass density (Ω M ), the cosmological constant (i.e., the vacuum energy density, Ω Λ ), the deceleration parameter (q 0 ), and the dynamical age of the Universe (t 0 ). The distances of the high-redshift SNe Ia are, on average, 10% to 15% farther than expected in a low mass density (Ω M = 0.2) Universe without a cosmological constant. Different light curve fitting methods, SN Ia subsamples, and prior constraints unanimously favor eternally expanding models with positive cosmological constant (i.e., Ω Λ > 0) and a current acceleration of the expansion (i.e., q 0 < 0). With no prior constraint on mass density other than Ω M ≥ 0, the spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia are statistically consistent with q 0 < 0 at the 2.8σ -2and 3.9σ confidence levels, and with Ω Λ > 0 at the 3.0σ and 4.0σ confidence levels, for two different fitting methods respectively. Fixing a "minimal" mass density, Ω M = 0.2, results in the weakest detection, Ω Λ > 0 at the 3.0σ confidence level from one of the two methods. For a flat-Universe prior (Ω M + Ω Λ = 1), the spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia require Ω Λ > 0 at 7σ and 9σ formal significance for the two different fitting methods. A Universe closed by ordinary matter (i.e., Ω M = 1) is formally ruled out at the 7σ to 8σ confidence level for the two different fitting methods. We estimate the dynamical age of the Universe to be 14.2 ±1.5 Gyr including systematic uncertainties in the current Cepheid distance scale. We estimate the likely effect of several sources of systematic error, including progenitor and metallicity evolution, extinction, sample selection bias, local perturbations in the expansion rate, gravitational lensing, and sample contamination. Presently, none of these effects reconciles the data with Ω Λ = 0 and q 0 ≥ 0.

We have discovered 16 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have used them to provide the first conclusive evidence for cosmic deceleration that preceded the current epoch of cosmic acceleration. These objects, discovered during the course of the GOODS ACS Treasury program, include 6 of the 7 highest-redshift SNe Ia known, all at z > 1.25, and populate the Hubble diagram in unexplored territory. The luminosity distances to these objects, and to 170 previously reported SNe Ia, have been determined using empirical relations between light-curve shape and luminosity. A purely kinematic interpretation of the SN Ia sample provides evidence at the > 99% confidence level for a transition from deceleration to acceleration or similarly, strong evidence for a cosmic jerk. Using a simple model of the -2expansion history, the transition between the two epochs is constrained to be at z = 0.46 ± 0.13. The data are consistent with the cosmic concordance model of Ω M ≈ 0.3, Ω Λ ≈ 0.7 (χ 2 dof = 1.06), and are inconsistent with a simple model of evolution or dust as an alternative to dark energy. For a flat Universe with a cosmological constant, we measure Ω M = 0.29± 0.05 0.03 (equivalently, Ω Λ = 0.71). When combined with external flat-Universe constraints including the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure, we find w = −1.02± 0.13 0.19 (and w < −0.76 at the 95% confidence level) for an assumed static equation of state of dark energy, P = wρc 2 . Joint constraints on both the recent equation of state of dark energy, w 0 , and its time evolution, dw/dz, are a factor of ∼ 8 more precise than its first estimate and twice as precise as those without the SNe Ia discovered with HST. Our constraints are consistent with the static nature of and value of w expected for a cosmological constant (i.e., w 0 = −1.0, dw/dz = 0), and are inconsistent with very rapid evolution of dark energy. We address consequences of evolving dark energy for the fate of the Universe.

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.

The Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) is designed to document the first third of galactic evolution, over the approximate redshift (z) range 8-1.5. It will image >250,000 distant galaxies using three separate cameras on the Hubble Space Telescope, from the mid-ultraviolet to the near-infrared, and will find and measure Type Ia supernovae at z > 1.5 to test their accuracy as standardizable candles for cosmology. Five premier multi-wavelength sky regions are selected, each with extensive ancillary data. The use of five widely separated fields mitigates cosmic variance and yields statistically robust and complete samples of galaxies down to a stellar mass of 10 9 M to z ≈ 2, reaching the knee of the ultraviolet luminosity function of galaxies to z ≈ 8. The survey covers approximately 800 arcmin 2 and is divided into two parts. The CANDELS/Deep survey (5σ point-source limit H = 27.7 mag) covers ∼125 arcmin 2 within Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS)-N and GOODS-S. The CANDELS/Wide survey includes GOODS and three additional fields (Extended Groth Strip, COSMOS, and Ultra-deep Survey) and covers the full area to a 5σ pointsource limit of H 27.0 mag. Together with the Hubble Ultra Deep Fields, the strategy creates a three-tiered "wedding-cake" approach that has proven efficient for extragalactic surveys. Data from the survey are nonproprietary and are useful for a wide variety of science investigations. In this paper, we describe the basic motivations for the survey, the CANDELS team science goals and the resulting observational requirements, the field selection and geometry, and the observing design. The Hubble data processing and products are described in a companion paper.

We have discovered 21 new Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have used them to trace the history of cosmic expansion over the last 10 billion yr. These objects, which include 13 spectroscopically confirmed SNe Ia at z ! 1, were discovered during 14 epochs of reimaging of the GOODS fields North and South over 2 yr with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on HST. Together with a recalibration of our previous HSTdiscovered SNe Ia, the full sample of 23 SNe Ia at z ! 1 provides the highest redshift sample known. Combining these data with previous SN Ia data sets, we measured H z ð Þ at discrete, uncorrelated epochs, reducing the uncertainty of H z > 1 ð Þfrom 50% to under 20%, strengthening the evidence for a cosmic jerk-the transition from deceleration in the past to acceleration in the present. The unique leverage of the HST high-redshift SNe Ia provides the first meaningful constraint on the dark energy equation-of-state parameter at z ! 1. The result remains consistent with a cosmological constant [w z ð Þ ¼ À1] and rules out rapidly evolving dark energy (dw/dz 3 1). The defining property of dark energy, its negative pressure, appears to be present at z > 1, in the epoch preceding acceleration, with $98% confidence in our primary fit. Moreover, the z > 1 sample-averaged spectral energy distribution is consistent with that of the typical SN Ia over the last 10 Gyr, indicating that any spectral evolution of the properties of SNe Ia with redshift is still below our detection threshold.

We combine the CfA3 supernova Type Ia (SN Ia) sample with samples from the literature to calculate improved constraints on the dark energy equation of state parameter, w. The CfA3 sample is added to the Union set of Kowalski et al. (2008) to form the Constitution set and, combined with a BAO prior, produces 1 + w = 0.013 +0.066 −0.068 (0.11 syst), consistent with the cosmological constant. The CfA3 addition makes the cosmologically-useful sample of nearby SN Ia between 2.6 and 2.9 times larger than before, reducing the statistical uncertainty to the point where systematics play the largest role. We use four light curve fitters to test for systematic differences: SALT, SALT2, MLCS2k2 (R V = 3.1), and MLCS2k2 (R V = 1.7). SALT produces high-redshift Hubble residuals with systematic trends versus color and larger scatter than MLCS2k2. MLCS2k2 overestimates the intrinsic luminosity of SN Ia with 0.7 < ∆ < 1.2. MLCS2k2 with R V = 3.1 overestimates host-galaxy extinction while R V ≈ 1.7 does not. Our investigation is consistent with no Hubble bubble. We also find that, after lightcurve correction, SN Ia in Scd/Sd/Irr hosts are intrinsically fainter than those in E/S0 hosts by 2σ, suggesting that they may come from different populations. We also find that SN Ia in Scd/Sd/Irr hosts have low scatter (0.1 mag) and equation of state, p = wρ, where the equation of state parameter, w, relates the dark energy density, ρ, to the dark energy pressure, p. In a Friedman universe, ρ depends on 1 + w and the scale factor of the universe, a, as ρ ∼ a −3(1+w) . The first question that arises is whether the dark energy density is constant (1 + w = 0, a cosmological constant) or not. We choose to use the notation, 1 + w, since it is then easier to think about values of w larger than −1 (1 + w > 0) or more negative than −1 (1 + w < 0). In the case of 1 + w < 0 the dark energy grows in density as the universe expands! The second question is whether the dark energy properties, as described by w, are constant in time or not.The first study on the equation of state produced a 95%-confidence limit of 1 + w < 0.3, assuming Ω M ∼ 0.2 and zero possibility of 1 + w < 0 (Garnavich et al. 1998). Knop et al. (2003) found 1 + w = −0.05 +0.15 −0.20 . Riess et al. (2005) reported 1 + w = −0.02 +0.13 −0.19 . The SNLS and ESSENCE surveys were designed to narrow the constraints on 1+w and their first reports showed significant improvement in statistical uncertainty over the previous values, bringing them down to the range where systematic uncertainties,which they try to reduce as well, are of roughly equal importance. Astier et al. (2006, A06, hereafter) found 1 + w = −0.02 ± 0.09 while Wood-Vasey et al. (2007, WV07, hereafter) found 1+w = −0.07±0.09. Most recently, Kowalski et al. (2008) (K08, hereafter) made a compilation of the literature SN Ia, plus several new nearby ones that they present, and found 1 + w = −0.01 ± 0.08 when using the same priors as A06 and WV07. All of these studies are consistent with a cosmological constant. On the time-evolution...

This paper describes the Hubble Space Telescope imaging data products and data reduction procedures for the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). This survey is designed to document the evolution of galaxies and black holes at z ∼ 1.5 − 8, and to study Type Ia SNe beyond z > 1.5. Five premier multi-wavelength sky regions are selected, each with extensive multiwavelength observations. The primary CANDELS data consist of imaging obtained in the Wide Field Camera 3 / infrared channel (WFC3/IR) and UVIS channel, along with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The CANDELS/Deep survey covers ∼ 125 square arcminutes within GOODS-N and GOODS-S, while the remainder consists of the CANDELS/Wide survey, achieving a total of ∼ 800 square arcminutes across GOODS and three additional fields (EGS, COSMOS, and UDS). We summarize the observational aspects of the survey as motivated by the scientific goals and present a detailed description of the data reduction procedures and products from the survey. Our data reduction methods utilize the most up to date calibration files and image combination procedures. We have paid special attention to correcting a range of instrumental effects, including CTE degradation for ACS, removal of electronic bias-striping present in ACS data after SM4, and persistence effects and other artifacts in WFC3/IR. For each field, we release mosaics for individual epochs and eventual mosaics containing data from all epochs combined, to facilitate photometric variability studies and the deepest possible photometry. A more detailed overview of the science goals and observational design of the survey are presented in a companion paper.

We use the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to determine the Hubble constant from optical and infrared observations of over 600 Cepheid variables in the host galaxies of eight recent Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), providing the calibration for a magnitude-redshift relation based on 253 SNe Ia. Increased precision over past measurements of the Hubble constant comes from five improvements: (1) more than doubling the number of infrared observations of Cepheids in the nearby SN hosts; (2) increasing the sample size of ideal SN Ia calibrators from six to eight; (3) increasing by 20% the number of Cepheids with infrared observations in the megamaser host NGC 4258; (4) reducing the difference in the mean metallicity of the Cepheid comparison samples between NGC 4258 and the SN hosts from Δlog [O/H] = 0.08 to 0.05; and (5) calibrating all optical Cepheid colors with a single camera, WFC3, to remove cross-instrument zero-point errors. The result is a reduction in the uncertainty in H 0 due to steps beyond the first rung of the distance ladder from 3.5% to 2.3%. The measurement of H 0 via the geometric distance to NGC 4258 is 74.8 ± 3.1 km s −1 Mpc −1 , a 4.1% measurement including systematic uncertainties. Better precision independent of the distance to NGC 4258 comes from the use of two alternative Cepheid absolute calibrations: (1) 13 Milky Way Cepheids with trigonometric parallaxes measured with HST/fine guidance sensor and Hipparcos and (2) 92 Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud for which multiple accurate and precise eclipsing binary distances are available, yielding 74.4 ± 2.5 km s −1 Mpc −1 , a 3.4% uncertainty including systematics. Our best estimate uses all three calibrations but a larger uncertainty afforded from any two: H 0 = 73.8 ± 2.4 km s −1 Mpc −1 including systematic errors, corresponding to a 3.3% uncertainty. The improved measurement of H 0 , when combined with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 7 year data, results in a tighter constraint on the equation-of-state parameter of dark energy of w = −1.08 ± 0.10. It also rules out the best-fitting gigaparsec-scale void models, posited as an alternative to dark energy. The combined H 0 + WMAP results yield N eff = 4.2 ± 0.7 for the number of relativistic particle species in the early universe, a low-significance excess for the value expected from the three known neutrino flavors.