Cosmological constraints from low-redshift data

In this paper we summarise the constraints that low-redshift data --such as supernovae Ia (SN Ia), baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and cosmic chronometers (CC)-- are able to set on the concordance model and its extensions, as well as on inhomogeneous but isotropic models. We provide a broad overlook into these cosmological scenarios and several aspects of data analysis. In particular, we review a number of systematic issues of SN Ia analysis that include magnitude correction techniques, selection bias and their influence on the inferred cosmological constraints. Furthermore, we examine the isotropic and anisotropic components of the BAO data and their individual relevance for cosmological model-fitting. We extend the discussion presented in earlier works regarding the inferred dynamics of cosmic expansion and its present rate from the low-redshift data. Specifically, we discuss the cosmological constraints on the accelerated expansion and related model-selections. In addition, we extensively talk about the Hubble constant problem, then focus on the low-redshift data constraint on $H_0$ that is based on CC. Finally, we present the way in which this result compares the two of high-redshift $H_0$ estimate and local (redshift zero) measurements that are in tension.Comment: 18 pages, 7 plots; prepared for proceedings of Lema\^{i}tre Workshop: black holes, gravitational waves and spacetime singularitie

Isotropic vs. Anisotropic components of BAO data: a tool for model selection

We conduct a selective analysis of the isotropic ($D_V$) and anisotropic ($AP$) components of the most recent Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data. We find that these components provide significantly different constraints and could provide strong diagnostics for model selection, also in view of more precise data to arrive. For instance, in the $\Lambda$CDM model, we find a mild tension of $\sim 2 \sigma$ for the $\Omega_m$ estimates obtained using $D_V$ and $AP$ separately. Considering both $\Omega_k$ and $w$ as free parameters, we find that the concordance model is in tension with the best-fit values provided by the BAO data alone at 2.2$\sigma$. We complemented the BAO data with the Supernova Ia (SNIa) and Observational \textit{Hubble} datasets to perform a joint analysis on the $\Lambda$CDM model and its standard extensions. By assuming $\Lambda$CDM scenario, we find that these data provide $H_0 = 69.4 \pm 1.7$ \text{km/s Mpc$^{-1}$} as the best-fit value for the present expansion rate. In the $k\Lambda$CDM scenario we find that the evidence for acceleration using the BAO data alone is more than $\sim 5.8\sigma$, which increases to $8.4 \sigma$ in our joint analysis.Comment: Accepted for publication in JCAP. References update

Strong evidence for an accelerating universe

A recent analysis of the Supernova Ia data claims a 'marginal' ($\sim3\sigma$) evidence for a cosmic acceleration. This result has been complemented with a non-accelerating $R_{h}=ct$ cosmology, which was presented as a valid alternative to the $\Lambda$CDM model. In this paper, we use the same analysis to show that a non-marginal evidence for acceleration is actually found. We compare the standard Friedmann models to the $R_{h}=ct$ cosmology by complementing SN Ia data with the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, Gamma Ray Bursts and Observational Hubble datasets. We also study the power-law model which is a functional generalisation of $R_{h}=ct$. We find that the evidence for late-time acceleration is beyond refutable at a 4.56$\sigma$ confidence level from SN Ia data alone, and at an even stronger confidence level ($5.38\sigma$) from our joint analysis. Also, the non-accelerating $R_{h}=ct$ model fails to statistically compare with the $\Lambda$CDM having a $\Delta(\text{AIC})\sim30$

Exploring the evidence for a large local void with supernovae Ia data

In this work we utilise the most recent publicly available type Ia supernova (SN Ia) compilations and implement a well formulated cosmological model based on Lema\^{i}tre-Tolman-Bondi metric in presence of cosmological constant $\Lambda$ ($\Lambda$LTB) to test for signatures of large local inhomogeneities at $z\leq0.15$. Local underdensities in this redshift range have been previously found based on luminosity density (LD) data and galaxy number counts. Our main constraints on the possible local void using the Pantheon SN Ia dataset are: redshift size of $z_{\rm size}=0.068^{+0.021}_{-0.030}$; density contrast of $\delta\Omega_0/\Omega_0=-10.5_{-7.4}^{+9.3}\%$ between 16th and 84th percentiles. Investigating the possibility to alleviate the $\sim9\%$ disagreement between measurements of present expansion rate $H_0$ coming from calibrated local SN Ia and high-$z$ cosmic microwave background data, we find large local void to be a very unlikely explanation alone, consistently with previous studies. However, the level of matter inhomogeneity at a scale of $\sim$100Mpc that is allowed by SN Ia data, although not expected from cosmic variance calculations in standard model of cosmology, could be the origin of additonal systematic error in distance ladder measurements based on SN Ia. Fitting low-redshift Pantheon data with a cut $0.023<z<0.15$ to the $\Lambda$LTB model and to the Taylor expanded luminosity distance formula we estimate that this systematic error amounts to $1.1\%$ towards the lower $H_0$ value. A test for local anisotropy in Pantheon SN Ia data yields null evidence. Analysis of LD data provides a constraint on contrast of large isotropic void $\delta\Omega_0/\Omega_0=-51.9\%\pm6.3\%$, which is in $\sim4\sigma$ tension with SN Ia results. More data are necessary to better constrain the local matter density profile and understand the disagreement between SN and LD samplesComment: Equivalent to version published in MNRAS, 12 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Comments and questions are welcom