The cosmic curvature ($Ω_k$) is a fundamental parameter for cosmology. In this paper, we propose an improved model-independent method to constrain the cosmic curvature, which is geometrically related to the Hubble parameter $H(z)$ and luminosity distance $D_L(z)$. Using the currently largest $H(z)$ sample from the well-known cosmic chronometers, as well as the luminosity distance $D_L(z)$ from the relation between the UV and X-ray luminosities of 1598 quasars and the newly-compiled Pantheon sample including 1048 SNe Ia, 31 independent measurements of the cosmic curvature $Ω_k(z)$ can be expected covering the redshift range of $0.07<z<2$. Our estimation of $Ω_k(z)$ is fully compatible with flat Universe at the current level of observational precision. Meanwhile, we find that, for the Hubble diagram of 1598 quasars as a new type of standard candle, the spatial curvature is constrained to be $Ω_k=0.08\pm0.31$. For the latest Pantheon sample of SNe Ia observations, we obtain $Ω_k= -0.02\pm0.14$. Compared to other approaches aiming for model-independent estimations of spatial curvature, our analysis also achieves constraints with competitive precision. More interestingly, it is suggested that the reconstructed curvature $Ω_k$ is negative in the high redshift region, which is also consistent with the results from the model-dependent constraints in the literature. Such findings are confirmed by our reconstructed evolution of $Ω_k(z)$, in the framework of a model-independent method of Gaussian processes (GP) without assuming a specific form.
We present the first near infrared Hubble diagram for type II-P supernovae to further explore their value as distance indicators. We use a modified version of the standardised candle method which relies on the tight correlation between the absolute magnitudes of type II-P supernovae and their expansion velocities during the plateau phase. Although our sample contains only 12 II-P supernovae and they are necessarily local (z < 0.02), we demonstrate using near infrared JHK photometry that it may be possible to reduce the scatter in the Hubble diagram to 0.1-0.15 magnitudes. While this is potenti…
We show that future observations of binary neutron star systems with electromagnetic counterparts together with the traditional probes of low- and high-redshift Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) can help resolve the Hubble tension. The luminosity distance inferred from these probes and its scatter depend on the underlying cosmology. By using the gravitational lensing of light or gravitational waves emitted by, and peculiar motion of, these systems we derive constraints on the sum of neutrino masses, the equation of state of dark energy parametrized in the form $w_0 + w_a (1-a)$, along with the Hubbl…
Supernova Ia magnitude surveys measure the dimensionless luminosity distance $H_{0}D_{L}$. However, from the distances alone one cannot obtain quantities like $H(z)$ or the dark energy equation of state, unless further cosmological assumptions are imposed. Here we show that by measuring the power spectrum of density contrast and of peculiar velocities of supernovae one can estimate also $H(z)/H_{0}$ regardless of background or linearly perturbed cosmology and of galaxy-matter bias. This method, dubbed Clustering of Standard Candles (CSC) also yields the redshift distortion parameter $β(k,z)$ a…
The cosmological distance ladder crucially depends on classical Cepheids (with P=3-80 days), which are primary distance indicators up to 33 Mpc. Within this volume, very few SNe Ia have been calibrated through classical Cepheids, with uncertainty related to the non-linearity and the metallicity dependence of their period-luminosity (PL) relation. Although a general consensus on these effects is still not achieved, classical Cepheids remain the most used primary distance indicators. A possible extension of these standard candles to further distances would be important. In this context, a very p…
Although Type Ia supernova cosmology has now reached a mature state, it is important to develop as many independent methods as possible to understand the true nature of dark energy. Recent studies have shown that Type II supernovae (SNe II) offer such a path and could be used as alternative distance indicators. However, the majority of these studies were unable to extend the Hubble diagram above redshift $z=0.3$ because of observational limitations. Here, we show that we are now ready to move beyond low redshifts and attempt high-redshift ($z \gtrsim 0.3$) SN~II cosmology as a result of new-ge…
With the detection of gravitational wave (GW) GW170817 and its associated electromagnetic (EM) counterparts from a binary neutron star (NS) merger, the "standard siren" method for Hubble-constant measurements is expected to play a role in the Hubble-constant tension in the next few years. One intriguing proposal put forward in multiple studies is to use an NS merger's optical counterpart, known as a kilonova, as a standard candle, because its absolute magnitude can in principle be calculated from simulations. In this work, I detail the statistical framework for performing joint standard-candle…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are widely proposed as an effective probe to trace the Hubble diagram of the Universe in high redshift range. However, the calibration of GRBs is not as easy as that of type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Most calibrating methods at present make use one or some of the empirical luminosity correlations, e.g., Amati relation. One of the underlying assumptions of these calibrating methods is that the empirical correlation is universal over all redshifts. In this paper, we check to what extent this assumption holds. Assuming that SNe Ia exactly trace the Hubble diagram of the Univ…
We present year-long, near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 observations used to search for Mira variables in NGC 1559, the host galaxy of the Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2005df. This is the first dedicated search for Miras, highly-evolved low-mass stars, in a SN Ia host and subsequently the first calibration of the SN Ia luminosity using Miras in a role historically played by Cepheids. We identify a sample of 115 O-rich Miras with P < 400 days based on their light curve properties. We find that the scatter in the Mira Period-Luminosity Relation (PLR) is comparable to Cepheid PLRs seen in SN…
We analyze a set of 89 Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) that have both optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry to derive distances and construct low redshift ($z < 0.04$) Hubble diagrams. We construct mean light curve (LC) templates using a hierarchical Bayesian model. We explore both Gaussian process (GP) and template methods for fitting the LCs and estimating distances, while including peculiar velocity and photometric uncertainties. For the 56 SN Ia with both optical and NIR observations near maximum light, the GP method yields a NIR-only Hubble-diagram with a RMS of $0.117 \pm 0.014$ mag when…
Gravitational wave sources are a promising cosmological standard candle because their intrinsic luminosities are determined by fundamental physics (and are insensitive to dust extinction). They are, however, affected by weak lensing magnification due to the gravitational lensing from structures along the line of sight. This lensing is a source of uncertainty in the distance determination, even in the limit of perfect standard candle measurements. It is commonly believed that the uncertainty in the distance to an ensemble of gravitational wave sources is limited by the standard deviation of the…
We study the accelerated expansion of the universe by using the kinematic approach. In this context, we parameterize the deceleration parameter, q(z), in a model independent way. Assuming three simple parameterizations we reconstruct q(z). We do the joint analysis with combination of latest cosmological data consisting of standard candles (Supernovae Union2 sample), standard ruler (CMB/BAO), cosmic clocks (age of passively evolving galaxies) and Hubble (H(z)) data. Our results support the accelerated expansion of the universe.
The most precise local measurements of $H_0$ rely on observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) coupled with Cepheid distances to SN Ia host galaxies. Recent results have shown tension comparing $H_0$ to the value inferred from CMB observations assuming $Λ$CDM, making it important to check for potential systematic uncertainties in either approach. To date, precise local $H_0$ measurements have used SN Ia distances based on optical photometry, with corrections for light curve shape and colour. Here, we analyse SNe Ia as standard candles in the near-infrared (NIR), where intrinsic variations in…
The detection of GW170817 is revolutionizing many areas of astrophysics with the joint observation of gravitational waves and electromagnetic emissions. These multi-messenger events provide a new approach to determine the Hubble constant, thus, they are a promising candidate for mitigating the tension between measurements of Type Ia supernovae via the local distance ladder and the Cosmic Microwave Background. In addition to the "standard siren" provided by the gravitational-wave measurement, the kilonova itself has characteristics that allow to improve existing measurements or to perform yet a…
We present an analysis of the Hubble diagram for 12 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) observed in the near-infrared J and H bands. We select SNe exclusively from the redshift range 0.03 < z < 0.09 to reduce uncertainties coming from peculiar velocities while remaining in a cosmologically well-understood region. All of the SNe in our sample exhibit no spectral or B-band light-curve peculiarities and lie in the B-band stretch range of 0.8-1.15. Our results suggest that SNe Ia observed in the near-infrared (NIR) are the best known standard candles. We fit previously determined NIR light-curve templates…
Cosmological applications of HII galaxies (HIIGx) and giant extragalactic HII regions (GEHR) to construct the Hubble diagram at higher redshifts require knowledge of the "$L$--$σ$" relation of the standard candles used. In this paper, we study the properties of a large sample of 156 sources (25 high-$z$ HII galaxies, 107 local HII galaxies, and 24 giant extragalactic HII regions) compiled by Terlevich et al.(2015). Using the the cosmological distances reconstructed through two new cosmology-independent methods, we investigate the correlation between the H$β$ emission-line luminosity $L$ and io…
We perform a cosmographic analysis using several cosmological observables such as the luminosity distance moduli, the volume distance, the angular diameter distance and the Hubble parameter. These quantities are determined using different data sets: Supernovae type Ia and Gamma Ray Bursts, the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations, the cosmic microwave background power spectrum and the Hubble parameter as measured from surveys of galaxies. This data set allows to put constraints on the cosmographic expansion with unprecedented precision. We also present forecasts for the coefficients of the kinematic…
We show that standard candles can provide some valuable information about the density contrast, which could be particularly important at redshifts where other observations are not available. We use an inversion method to reconstruct the local radial density profile from luminosity distance observations assuming background cosmological parameters obtained from large scale observations. Using type Ia Supernovae% (SNe) , Cepheids and the cosmological parameters from the Planck mission we reconstruct the radial density profiles along two different directions of the sky. We compare these profiles t…
We perform unbiased tests for the clumpiness of universe by confronting the Zel'dovich-Kantowski-Dyer-Roeder luminosity distance which describes the effect of local inhomogeneities on the propagation of light with the observational one estimated from measurements of standard candles, i.e., type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Methodologically, we first determine the light-curve fitting parameters which account for distance estimation in SNe Ia observations and luminosity/energy relations which are responsible for distance estimation of GRBs in the global fit to reconstruct …
The non-linear relation between X-ray and UV luminosity in quasars can be used to estimate their distance. Recently, we have shown that despite the large dispersion of the relation, a Hubble Diagram made of large samples of quasars can provide unique constraints on cosmology at high redshift. Furthermore, the dispersion of the relation is heavily affected by measurement errors: until now we have used serendipitous X-ray observations, but dedicated observations would significantly increase the precision of the distance estimates. We discuss the future role of XMM in this new field, showing (1) …
Relativistic corrections are estimated for classical Cepheids and the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB stars), to enable future unbiased 1% measurements of Hubble's constant, $H_0$. We considered four effects: $K-$corrections, time-dilation, the apparent change of host dust extinction due to non-comoving reference frames, and the change of observed color due to redshift. Extinction-dependent $K-$corrections were computed using stellar atmosphere models applicable to giant stars for $0.005 < z < 0.03$ in HST, JWST, and 2MASS filters. The optical-NIR Wesenheit function advantageously combines f…
In this paper, we present a model-independent approach to calibrate the largest quasar sample. Calibrating quasar samples is essentially constraining the parameters of the linear relation between the $\log$ of the ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray luminosities. This calibration allows quasars to be used as standardized candles. There is a strong correlation between the parameters characterizing the quasar luminosity relation and the cosmological distances inferred from using quasars as standardized candles. We break this degeneracy by using Gaussian process regression to model-independently reconstru…
Long duration Gamma-Ray Bursts (LGRBs) may serve as standard candles to constrain cosmological parameters by probing the Hubble diagram well beyond the range of redshift currently accessible using type-Ia supernovae. The standardization of GRBs is based on phenomenological relations between two or more parameters found from spectral modeling, of which one is strongly dependent on the cosmological model. The Amati relation links the source-frame energy ${E_{\mathrm{i,p}}}$ at which the prompt gamma-ray spectral energy distribution $νF_ν$ peaks, and the isotropic-equivalent bolometric energy ${E…
We revisit the observed correlation between Hbeta and FeII velocities for Type II-P supernovae (SNe~II-P) using 28 optical spectra of 13 SNe II-P and demonstrate that it is well modeled by a linear relation with a dispersion of about 300 km/s. Using this correlation, we reanalyze the publicly available sample of SNe II-P compiled by D'Andrea et al. and find a Hubble diagram with an intrinsic scatter of 11% in distance, which is nearly as tight as that measured before their sample is added to the existing set. The larger scatter reported in their work is found to be systematic, and most of it c…
Motivated by an updated compilation of observational Hubble data (OHD) which consist of 51 points in the redshift range 0.07<z<2.36, we study an interesting model known as Cardassian which drives the late cosmic acceleration without a dark energy component. Our compilation contains 31 data points measured with the differential age method by Jimenez & Loeb, and 20 data points obtained from clustering of galaxies. We focus on two modified Friedmann equations: the original Cardassian (OC) expansion and the modified polytropic Cardassian (MPC). The dimensionless Hubble, E(z), and the deceleration …
Standard candles can probe the evolution of dark energy in a large redshift range. But the cosmic opacity can degrade the quality of standard candles. In this paper, we use the latest observations, including type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) from JLA sample and Hubble parameters, to probe the opacity of the universe. In order to avoid the cosmological dependence of SNe Ia luminosity distances, a joint fitting of the SNe Ia light-curve parameters, cosmological parameters and opacity is used. In order to explore the cosmic opacity at high redshifts, the latest gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are used. At high…
The correlation between the peak photon energy of the internal spectrum Ep,i and isotropic equivalent radiated energy Eiso (the Amati relation) is explored in a scalar field model of dark energy. Using an updated data set of 109 high redshift GRBs, we show that the correlation parameters only weakly depend on the cosmological model. Once the parameters of Amati relation have been determined we use this relation to construct a fiducial GRBs Hubble diagram that extends up to redshifts ~ 8. Moreover we apply a local regression technique to estimate, in a model independent way, the distance modulu…
We present updated constraints on the variation of the fine structure constant, $α_{\rm EM}$, and effective electron rest mass, $m_{\rm e}$, during the cosmological recombination era. These two fundamental constants directly affect the ionization history at redshift $z\simeq 1100$ and thus modify the temperature and polarisation anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) measured precisely with {\it Planck }. The constraints on $α_{\rm EM}$ tighten slightly due to improved {\it Planck} 2018 polarisation data but otherwise remain similar to previous CMB analysis. However, a compariso…
We constrain the scalar field dark energy model with an inverse power-law potential, i.e., $V(ϕ)\propto ϕ^{-α}$ ($α>0$), from a set of recent cosmological observations by compiling an updated sample of Hubble parameter measurements including 30 independent data points. Our results show that the constraining power of the updated sample of $H(z)$ data with the HST prior on $H_0$ is stronger than those of the SCP Union2 and Union2.1 compilations. A recent sample of strong gravitational lensing systems is also adopted to confine the model even though the results are not significant. A joint analys…
We measure the length of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) feature, and the expansion rate of the recent Universe, from low-redshift data only, almost model-independently. We make only the following minimal assumptions: homogeneity and isotropy; a metric theory of gravity; a smooth expansion history, and the existence of standard candles (supernovæ) and a standard BAO ruler. The rest is determined by the data, which are compilations of recent BAO and Type IA supernova results. Making only these assumptions, we find for the first time that the standard ruler has length $103.9 \pm 2.3\, h^{-…
The $L-σ$ relation of HII galaxies (HIIGx) calibrated by a distance indicator is a reliable standard candle for measuring the Hubble constant $H_0$. The most straightforward calibration technique anchors them with the first tier of distance ladders from the same galaxies. Recently another promising method that uses the cosmological model-independent Cosmic Chronometers (CC) as a calibrator has been proposed. We promote this technique by removing the assumptions about the cosmic flatness and using a non-parametric Artificial Neural Network for the data reconstruction process. We observe a corre…
We analyze the influence of the evolution of light absorbtion by grey dust in SNe Ia host galaxies and the influence of the evolution of average total mass of coalescing double carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (progenitors of SNe Ia) under the influence of gravitational radiation on the interpretation of Hubble diagrams of SNe Ia. Significant increase in the average energy of SNe Ia due to increase in the total mass of merging dwarfs can be observed at red shift z> 2. The observed dependence of the distance modulus from the red shift in observations of SNe Ia can be explained not only by the assumpt…
Despite vast improvements in the measurement of the cosmological parameters, the nature of dark energy and an accurate value of the Hubble constant (H$_0$) in the Hubble-Lemaître law remain unknown. To break the current impasse, it is necessary to develop as many independent techniques as possible, such as the use of Type II supernovae (SNe II). The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of SNe II for deriving accurate extragalactic distances, which will be an asset for the next generation of telescopes where more-distant SNe II will be discovered. More specifically, we present a sam…
Carbon Stars as Standard Candles: An Empirical Test for the Reddening, Metallicity, and Age Sensitivity of the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) Method
The Hubble diagram constructed using HII galaxies (HIIGx) and Giant extragalactic HII regions (GEHR) as standard candles already extends beyond the current reach of Type Ia SNe. A sample of 156 HIIGx and GEHR sources has been used previously to compare the predictions of LCDM and R_h=ct, the results of which suggested that the HIIGx and GEHR sources strongly favour the latter over the former. But this analysis was based on the application of parametric fits to the data and the use of information criteria, which disfavour the less parsimonious models. In this paper, we advance the use of HII so…
We analyze the influence of the evolution of light absorption by gray dust in the host galaxies of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and the evolution of the mean combined mass of close-binary carbon-oxygen white dwarfs merging due to gravitational waves (SNe Ia precursors) on the interpretation of Hubble diagrams for SNe Ia. A significant increase in the mean SNe Ia energy due to the higher combined masses of merging dwarfs should be observable at redshifts z > 2. The observed relation between the distance moduli and redshifts of SNe Ia can be interpreted not only as evidence for accelerated expans…
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have recently attracted much attention as a possible way to extend the Hubble diagram to very high redshift. To this aim, the luminosity (or isotropic emitted energy) of a GRB at redshift z must be evaluated from a correlation with a distance independent quantity so that one can then solve for the luminosity distance D_L(z) and hence the distance modulus mu(z). Averaging over five different two parameters correlations and using a fiducial cosmological model to calibrate them, Schaefer (2007) has compiled a sample of 69 GRBs with measured mu(z) which has since then been …
I present an analysis for fitting cosmological parameters from a Hubble Diagram of a standard candle with unknown intrinsic magnitude dispersion. The dispersion is determined from the data themselves, simultaneously with the cosmological parameters. This contrasts with the strategies used to date. The advantages of the presented analysis are that it is done in a single fit (it is not iterative), it provides a statistically founded and unbiased estimate of the intrinsic dispersion, and its cosmological-parameter uncertainties account for the intrinsic dispersion uncertainty. Applied to Type Ia …
Assuming the existence of standard rulers, standard candles and standard clocks, requiring only the cosmological principle, a metric theory of gravity, a smooth expansion history, and using state-of-the-art observations, we determine the length of the "low-redshift standard ruler". The data we use are a compilation of recent Baryon acoustic oscillation data (relying on the standard ruler), Type 1A supernovæ (as standard candles), ages of early type galaxies (as standard clocks) and local determinations of the Hubble constant (as a local anchor of the cosmic distance scale). In a standard $Λ$CD…
We report estimates of the cosmological parameters $Ω_m$ and $Ω_Λ$ obtained using supernovae (SNe) associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at redshifts up to 0.606. Eight high-fidelity GRB-SNe with well-sampled light curves across the peak are used. We correct their peak magnitudes for a luminosity-decline rate relation to turn them into accurate standard candles with dispersion $σ= 0.18$ mag. We also estimate the peculiar velocity of the low-redshift host galaxy of SN 1998bw, using constrained cosmological simulations. In a flat universe, the resulting Hubble diagram leads to best-fit cosmolo…
We present a new catalogue of ~2,400 optically selected quasars with spectroscopic redshifts and X-ray observations from either Chandra or XMM-Newton. The sample can be used to investigate the non-linear relation between the UV and X-ray luminosity of quasars, and to build a Hubble diagram up to redshift z~7.5. We selected sources that are neither reddened by dust in the optical/UV nor obscured by gas in the X-rays, and whose X-ray fluxes are free from flux-limit related biases. After checking for any possible systematics, we confirm, in agreement with our previous works, that (i) the X-ray to…
The luminosity-redshift relation of cosmological standard candles provides information about the relative energy composition of our Universe. In particular, the observation of type Ia supernovae up to redshift of z~2 indicate a universe which is dominated today by dark matter and dark energy. The propagation distance of light from these sources is of the order of the Hubble radius and serves as a very sensitive probe of feeble inelastic photon interactions with background matter, radiation or magnetic fields. In this paper we discuss the limits on mini-charged particle models arising from a di…
Recent observations have accumulated compelling evidence that some short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are associated with the mergers of neutron star (NS) binaries. This would indicate that the SGRB event is associated with a gravitational-wave (GW) signal corresponding to the final inspiral of the compact binary. In addition, the radioactive decay of elements produced in NS binary mergers may result in transients visible in the optical and infrared with peak luminosities on hours-days timescales. Simultaneous observations of the inspiral GWs and signatures in the electromagnetic band may allow us…
Based on optical imaging and spectroscopy of the Type II-Plateau SN 2013eq, we present a comparative study of commonly used distance determination methods based on Type II supernovae. The occurrence of SN 2013eq in the Hubble flow (z = 0.041 +/- 0.001) prompted us to investigate the implications of the difference between "angular" and "luminosity" distances within the framework of the expanding photosphere method (EPM) that relies upon a relation between flux and angular size to yield a distance. Following a re-derivation of the basic equations of the EPM for SNe at non-negligible redshifts, w…
We use results of a survey for low-surface-gravity stars in Galactic (and LMC) globular clusters to show that "yellow" post-asymptotic-giant-branch (yPAGB) stars are likely to be excellent extragalactic standard candles, capable of producing distances to early-type galaxies that are accurate to a few percent. We show that the mean bolometric magnitude of the 10 known yPAGB stars in globular clusters is <Mbol> = -3.38 +/- 0.03, a value that is ~0.2 mag brighter than that predicted from the latest post-horizontal-branch evolutionary tracks. More importantly, we show that the observed dispersion …
Soon the number of type Ia supernova (SN) measurements should exceed 100,000. Understanding the effect of weak lensing by matter structures on the supernova brightness will then be more important than ever. Although SN lensing is usually seen as a source of systematic noise, we will show that it can be in fact turned into signal. More precisely, the non-Gaussianity introduced by lensing in the SN Hubble diagram dispersion depends rather sensitively on the amplitude sigma8 of the matter power spectrum. By exploiting this relation, we are able to predict constraints on sigma8 of 7% (3%) for a ca…
This paper constraints dynamic dark energy equation of state (EoS) parameters using the type Ia supernovae from Union 2.1 dataset. The paper also discusses the dependency of dynamic dark energy EoS parameters on the chosen or assumed value of the Hubble Constant. To understand the correlation between the Hubble Constant values and measured dynamic dark energy EoS parameters, we used recent surveys being done through various techniques such as cosmic microwave background studies, gravitational waves, baryonic acoustic oscillations and standard candles to set values for different Hubble Constant…
In the standard cosmological framework, the Hubble diagram is interpreted by assuming that the light emitted by standard candles propagates in a spatially homogeneous and isotropic spacetime. However, the light from "point sources"--such as supernovae--probes the Universe on scales where the homogeneity principle is no longer valid. Inhomogeneities are expected to induce a bias and a dispersion of the Hubble diagram. This is investigated by considering a Swiss-cheese cosmological model, which (1) is an exact solution of the Einstein field equations, (2) is strongly inhomogeneous on small scale…
We extract observational constraints on $f(T)$ gravity, using the recently proposed statistical method which is not affected by the value of $H_0$ and thus it bypasses the problem of the disagreement in its exact numerical value between Planck and direct measurements. We use direct measurements of the Hubble parameter with the corresponding covariance matrix, and for completeness we perform a joint analysis using the latest data from Supernovae type Ia based on JLA sample, quasi-stellar objects, and Cosmic Microwave Background shift parameter from Planck. We analyze a large family of $f(T)$ mo…
In the last dozen years a wide and variegated mass of observational data revealed that the universe is now expanding at an accelerated rate. In the absence of a well-based theory to interpret the observations, cosmography provides information about the evolution of the Universe from measured distances, only assuming that the geometry of the can be described by the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson -Walker metric. We perform a high-redshift analysis allows us to put constraints on the cosmographic parameters up to the 5fth order, thus inducing indirect constraints on any gravity theory. Here we are …
Quasars show considerable promise as standard candles in a high-redshift window beyond Type Ia supernovae. Recently, Risaliti, Lusso \& collaborators \cite{Risaliti:2018reu, Lusso:2019akb, Lusso:2020pdb} have succeeded in producing a high redshift Hubble diagram ($ z \lesssim 7$) that supports "a trend whereby the Hubble diagram of quasars is well reproduced by the standard flat $Λ$CDM model up to $z \sim 1.5-2$, but strong deviations emerge at higher redshifts". This conclusion hinges upon a log polynomial expansion for the luminosity distance. In this note, we demonstrate that this expansion…
