Constraining Cosmological Parameters Using a New Combination of Strong Lensing and Other Cosmological Datasets

Since Edwin Hubble discovered evidence for cosmological expansion in 1929, cosmologists have studied the mechanisms behind expansion. More recently, evidence strongly suggests that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. New spectroscopic information on many strong lens systems offers another method to constrain cosmological parameters for models that are consistent with cosmological acceleration. We use a unique conglomeration of several strong lensing surveys totaling 136 grade A strong lensing systems along with the new Pantheon type Ia supernovae sample, baryon acoustic oscillations, Cosmic chronometers, and CMB (TT, and low l) to make excellent determinations of Ω_m, w, w_a, and H₀. We find the data consistent with a flat ΛCDM universe. The values are in good agreement with the standard model where w = -1 and w_a = 0, however they do not rule out the possibility of a non-constant dark energy model.