Cosmography and cosmic acceleration

Abstract

We investigate the prospects for determining the accelerating history of the Universe from upcoming measurements of the expansion rate H(z). In our analyses, we use Monte Carlo simulations based on w cold dark matter models to generate samples with different characteristics and calculate the evolution of the deceleration parameter q(z). We show that a cosmographic (and, therefore, model-independent) evidence for cosmic acceleration [q(z < zt) < 0, where zt is the transition redshift] will be possible only with an accuracy in H(z) data expected in some planned surveys. A brief discussion about the prospects for reconstructing the dark energy equation of state from the parameters H(z) and q(z) is also included. © 2011 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2011 RAS.