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We analyze the three-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey II (SDSS-II) Supernova (SN) Survey data and identify a sample of 1070 photometric Type la supernova (SN la) candidates based on their multiband light curve data. This sample consists of SN candidates with no spectroscopic confirmation, with a subset of 210 candidates having spectroscopic redshifts of their host galaxies measured while the remaining 860 candidates are purely photometric in their identification. We describe a method for estimating the efficiency and purity of photometric SN la classification when spectroscopic confirmation of only a limited sample is available, and demonstrate that SN la candidates from SDSS-II can be identified photometrically with ~91% efficiency and with a contamination of ~6%. Although this is the largest uniform sample of SN candidates to date for studying photometric identification, we find that a larger spectroscopic sample of contaminating sources is required to obtain a better characterization of the background events. A Hubble diagram using SN candidates with no spectroscopic confirmation, but with host galaxy spectroscopic redshifts, yields a distance modulus dispersion that is only ~20%-40% larger than that of the spectroscopically confirmed SN la sample alone with no significant bias. A Hubble diagram with purely photometric classification and redshift-distance measurements, however, exhibits biases that require further investigation for precision cosmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on problems caused due to Light pollution in Spain and the legal measures taken which includes Catalonian Law on Environmental Regulation of Lightening. The article further defines Light pollution and discusses the causes, effect and risk-factors on health and environment. The article suggests that rather than ignoring the problem, proper steps, analysis and study should be carried out for the protection against light pollution.

This paper briefly attempts to describe and assess the legal and economic wind energy in Spain. We refer specifically to the system of public support for the production of electricity from renewables through the system called "premium." The focus on wind energy in particular is justified simply for the reason that, as you know, Spain is ranked third worldwide in installed wind power second only to Germany and the U.S., which is coupled with the fact of significance for all levels that has taken the wind power sector in our country. It should also be remembered that on the one hand, energy use (production and consumption) is the main factor in emissions of greenhouse gases and on the other hand, renewables are a key element in combating Climate Change. And also that Spain is among the countries furthest away from compliance with the Kyoto Protocol. From this perspective, the role of wind energy is also evident in our country in renewable energy, wind energy in particular is what is making the most of electricity generation mix, making it the most secure in this fight environmental and global. In this sense, the proportion of electricity produced by wind-is over 11% in 2008 - the second in the world, second only to Denmark. It is therefore important to maintain a good policy to promote this renewable technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A 0.2–12 keV spectrum obtained with the XMM–Newton EPIC/pn instrument of GRB 011211, taken in the first 5 ks of a 27-ks observation, was found by Reeves et al. in 2002 to contain emission lines that were interpreted to be from Mg xi, Si xiv, S xvi, Ar xviii and Ca xx, at a lower redshift (z[sub obs]= 1.88) than that of the host galaxy (z[sub host]= 2.14) . We examine the spectrum independently, and find that the claimed lines would not be discovered in a blind search. Specifically, Monte Carlo simulations show that the significance of reported features, individually, is such that they would be observed in 10 per cent of featureless spectra with the same signal-to-noise ratio. Imposing a model in which the two brightest lines would be Si xiv and S xvi Kα emission velocity shifted to between z= 1.88 and 2.40, such features would be found in ∼1.3–1.7 per cent of observed featureless spectra (that is, with 98.3–98.7 per cent confidence). When we account for the number of trials implicit in a search of five energy spectra (as were examined by Reeves et al.), and permit a wider z phase space search (z= 2.14 ± 1.0) , the detection confidence of the two-line complex decreases to 77–82 per cent. We find the detection significance to be insufficient to justify the claim of detection and the model put forth to explain them. Kα line complexes are also found at z= 1.2 and 2.75 of significance equal to or greater than that at z= 1.88 . Thus, if one adopts the z= 1.88 complex as significant, one must also adopt the other two complexes to be significant. The interpretation of these data in the context of the model proposed by Reeves et al. is therefore degenerate, and cannot be resolved by these data alone. Our conclusions are in conflict with those of Reeves et al., because our statistical significance accounts for the multiple trials required – but not accounted for by Reeves et al. – in a blind search for emission features across a range of energies. In addition, we describe a practical challenge to the reliability of Monte Carlo Δχ[sup 2] tests, as employed by Reeves et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the characteristics of a narrow-band Type Ia supernova (SN) survey through simulations based on the upcoming Javalambre Physics of the accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey. This unique survey has the capabilities of obtaining distances, redshifts and the SN type from a single experiment thereby circumventing the challenges faced by the resource-intensive spectroscopic follow-up observations. We analyse the flux measurements signal-to-noise ratio and bias, the SN typing performance, the ability to recover light-curve parameters given by the SALT2 model, the photometric redshift precision from Type Ia SN light curves and the effects of systematic errors on the data. We show that such a survey is not only feasible but may yield large Type Ia SN samples (up to 250 SNe at z < 0.5 per month of search) with low core-collapse contamination (∼1.5 per cent), good precision on the SALT2 parameters (average $\sigma _{m_B}=0.063$, $\sigma _{x_1}=0.47$ and σc = 0.040) and on the distance modulus (average σμ = 0.16, assuming an intrinsic scatter σint = 0.14), with identified systematic uncertainties σsys ≲ 0.10σstat. Moreover, the filters are narrow enough to detect most spectral features and obtain excellent photometric redshift precision of σz = 0.005, apart from ∼2 per cent of outliers. We also present a few strategies for optimizing the survey's outcome. Together with the detailed host galaxy information, narrow-band surveys can be very valuable for the study of SN rates, spectral feature relations, intrinsic colour variations and correlations between SN and host galaxy properties, all of which are important information for SN cosmological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the correlation between supernova (SN) host-galaxy properties and their residuals in the Hubble diagram. We use SNe discovered during the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey, and focus on objects at a redshift of z < 0.15, where the selection effects of the survey are known to yield a complete Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) sample. To minimize the bias in our analysis with respect to measured host-galaxy properties, spectra were obtained for nearly all hosts, spanning a range in magnitude of-23 < Mr < -17. In contrast to previous works that use photometric estimates of host mass as a proxy for global metallicity, we analyze host-galaxy spectra to obtain gas-phase metallicities and star formation rates (SFRs) from host galaxies with active star formation. From a final sample of ~40 emission-line galaxies, we find that light-curve-corrected SNe la are ~0.1 mag brighter in high-metallicity hosts than in low-metallicity hosts. We also find a significant (>3σ) correlation between the Hubble Residuals of SNe la and the specific SFR of the host galaxy. We comment on the importance of SN/host-galaxy correlations as a source of systematic bias in future deep SN surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We improve estimates of the stellar mass and mass-weighted average age of Type la supernova (SN Ia) host galaxies by combining UV and near-IR photometry with optical photometry in our analysis. Using 206 SNe Ia drawn from the full three-year Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-II) Supernova Survey (median redshift of ɀ ≈ 0.2) and multi-wavelength host-galaxy photometry from SDSS, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey, we present evidence of a correlation (1.9σ confidence level) between the residuals of SNe Ia about the best-fit Hubble relation and the mass-weighted average age of their host galaxies. The trend is such that older galaxies host SNe Ia that are brighter than average after standard light-curve corrections are made. We also confirm, at the 3.0σ level, the trend seen by previous studies that more massive galaxies often host brighter SNe Ia after light-curve correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Basic considerations of lens detection and identification indicate that a wide field survey of the types planned for weak lensing and Type Ia SNe with SNAP are close to optimal for the optical detection of strong lenses. Such a “piggy-back” survey might be expected even pessimistically to provide a catalogue of a few thousand new strong lenses, with the numbers dominated by systems of faint blue galaxies lensed by foreground ellipticals. After sketching out our strategy for detecting and measuring these galaxy lenses using the SNAP images, we discuss some of the scientific applications of such a large sample of gravitational lenses: in particular we comment on the partition of information between lens structure, the source population properties and cosmology. Understanding this partitioning is key to assessing strong lens cosmography’s value as a cosmological probe. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) is an observatory for both wide-field observations and coronagraphy that is scheduled for launch in the mid-2020s. Part of the planned survey is a deep, cadenced field or fields that enable cosmological measurements with type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). With a pixel scale of 0.″11, the Wide Field Instrument will be undersampled, presenting a difficulty for precisely subtracting the galaxy light underneath the SNe. We use simulated data to validate the ability of a forward-model code (such codes are frequently also called "scene-modeling" codes) to perform precision supernova photometry for the Roman SN survey. Our simulation includes over 760,000 image cutouts around SNe Ia or host galaxies (∼10% of a full-scale survey). To have a realistic 2D distribution of underlying galaxy light, we use the VELA simulated high-resolution images of galaxies. We run each set of cutouts through our forward-modeling code which automatically measures time-dependent SN fluxes. Given our assumed inputs of a perfect model of the instrument point-spread functions and calibration, we find biases at the millimagnitude level from this method in four red filters (Y106, J129, H158, and F184), easily meeting the 0.5% Roman inter-filter calibration requirement for a cutting-edge measurement of cosmological parameters using SNe Ia. Simulated data in the bluer Z087 filter shows larger ∼ 2–3 mmg biases, also meeting this requirement, but with more room for improvement. Our forward-model code has been released on Zenodo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two dynamically stable Neptunian Trojans with inclination > 30°, 2013 VX30 and 2014 UU240, were found by the Dark Energy Survey. • 2013 VX30 is the first known ultra-red Neptunian Trojan. • Our survey simulation suggested that there are 162 +/- 73 Trojans with Hr < 10 at the L4 Lagrange point of Neptune. • The blue-to-ultra-red Neptunian Trojan population ratio should be higher than 17:1. • This ratio is still higher than the putative parent population, the dynamically excited TNOs, which has blue-to-ultra-red object ratio about 4.4–11.0. In the current model of early Solar System evolution, the stable members of the Jovian and Neptunian Trojan populations were captured into resonance from the leftover reservoir of planetesimals during the outward migration of the giant planets. As a result, both Jovian and Neptunian Trojans share a common origin with the primordial disk population, whose other surviving members constitute today's trans-Neptunian object (TNO) populations. The cold (low inclination and small eccentricity) classical TNOs are ultra-red, while the dynamically excited "hot" (high inclination and larger eccentricity) population of TNOs contains a mixture of ultra-red and blue objects. In contrast, Jovian and Neptunian Trojans are observed to be blue. While the absence of ultra-red Jovian Trojans can be readily explained by the sublimation of volatile material from their surfaces due to the high flux of solar radiation at 5 AU, the lack of ultra-red Neptunian Trojans presents both a puzzle and a challenge to formation models. In this work we report the discovery by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) of two new dynamically stable L4 Neptunian Trojans, 2013 VX 30 and 2014 UU 240 , both with inclinations i > 30°, making them the highest-inclination known stable Neptunian Trojans. We have measured the colors of these and three other dynamically stable Neptunian Trojans previously observed by DES, and find that 2013 VX 30 is ultra-red, the first such Neptunian Trojan in its class. As such, 2013 VX 30 may be a "missing link" between the Trojan and TNO populations. Using a simulation of the DES TNO detection efficiency, we find that there are 162 ± 73 Trojans with H r < 10 at the L4 Lagrange point of Neptune. Moreover, the blue-to-red Neptunian Trojan population ratio should be higher than 17:1. Based on this result, we discuss the possible origin of the ultra-red Neptunian Trojan population and its implications for the formation history of Neptunian Trojans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Two dynamically stable Neptunian Trojans with inclination > 30°, 2013 VX30 and 2014 UU240, were found by the Dark Energy Survey. • 2013 VX30 is the first known ultra-red Neptunian Trojan. • Our survey simulation suggested that there are 162 +/- 73 Trojans with Hr < 10 at the L4 Lagrange point of Neptune. • The blue-to-ultra-red Neptunian Trojan population ratio should be higher than 17:1. • This ratio is still higher than the putative parent population, the dynamically excited TNOs, which has blue-to-ultra-red object ratio about 4.4–11.0. Abstract In the current model of early Solar System evolution, the stable members of the Jovian and Neptunian Trojan populations were captured into resonance from the leftover reservoir of planetesimals during the outward migration of the giant planets. As a result, both Jovian and Neptunian Trojans share a common origin with the primordial disk population, whose other surviving members constitute today's trans-Neptunian object (TNO) populations. The cold (low inclination and small eccentricity) classical TNOs are ultra-red, while the dynamically excited "hot" (high inclination and larger eccentricity) population of TNOs contains a mixture of ultra-red and blue objects. In contrast, Jovian and Neptunian Trojans are observed to be blue. While the absence of ultra-red Jovian Trojans can be readily explained by the sublimation of volatile material from their surfaces due to the high flux of solar radiation at 5 AU, the lack of ultra-red Neptunian Trojans presents both a puzzle and a challenge to formation models. In this work we report the discovery by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) of two new dynamically stable L4 Neptunian Trojans, 2013 VX 30 and 2014 UU 240 , both with inclinations i > 30°, making them the highest-inclination known stable Neptunian Trojans. We have measured the colors of these and three other dynamically stable Neptunian Trojans previously observed by DES, and find that 2013 VX 30 is ultra-red, the first such Neptunian Trojan in its class. As such, 2013 VX 30 may be a "missing link" between the Trojan and TNO populations. Using a simulation of the DES TNO detection efficiency, we find that there are 162 ± 73 Trojans with H r < 10 at the L4 Lagrange point of Neptune. Moreover, the blue-to-red Neptunian Trojan population ratio should be higher than 17:1. Based on this result, we discuss the possible origin of the ultra-red Neptunian Trojan population and its implications for the formation history of Neptunian Trojans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast outflows (UFOs) are seen in many AGN, giving a possible mode for AGN feedback on to the host galaxy. However, the mechanism(s) for the launch and acceleration of these outflows are currently unknown, with UV line driving apparently strongly disfavoured as the material along the line of sight is so highly ionized that it has no UV transitions. We revisit this issue using the Suzaku X-ray data from PDS 456, an AGN with the most powerful UFO seen in the local Universe. We explore conditions in the wind by developing a new 3D Monte Carlo code for radiation transport. The code only handles highly ionized ions, but the data show the ionization state of the wind is high enough that this is appropriate, and this restriction makes it fast enough to explore parameter space. We reproduce the results of earlier work, confirming that the mass-loss rate in the wind is around 30 per cent of the inferred inflow rate through the outer disc. We show for the first time that UV line driving is likely to be a major contribution to the wind acceleration. The mass-loss rate in the wind matches that predicted from a purely line driven system, and this UV absorption can take place out of the line of sight. Continuum driving should also play a role as the source is close to Eddington. This predicts that the most extreme outflows will be produced from the highest mass accretion rate flows on to high-mass black holes, as observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2005hk and SN 2008A, typical members of the Type Iax class of supernovae (SNe). Here we focus on late-time observations, where these objects deviate most dramatically from all other SN types. Instead of the dominant nebular emission lines that are observed in other SNe at late phases, spectra of SNe 2005hk and 2008A show lines of Fe II, Ca II, and Fe I more than a year past maximum light, along with narrow [Fe II] and [Ca II] emission. We use spectral features to constrain the temperature and density of the ejecta, and find high densities at late times, with ne ≳ 109 cm–3. Such high densities should yield enhanced cooling of the ejecta, making these objects good candidates to observe the expected “infrared catastrophe,” a generic feature of SN Ia models. However, our HST photometry of SN 2008A does not match the predictions of an infrared catastrophe. Moreover, our HST observations rule out a “complete deflagration” that fully disrupts the white dwarf for these peculiar SNe, showing no evidence for unburned material at late times. Deflagration explosion models that leave behind a bound remnant can match some of the observed properties of SNe Iax, but no published model is consistent with all of our observations of SNe 2005hk and 2008A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report observations of three gravitationally lensed supernovae (SNe) in the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) Multi-Cycle Treasury program. These objects, SN CLO12Car (z = 1.28), SN CLN12Did (z = 0.85), and SN CLA11Tib (z = 1.14), are located behind three different clusters, MACSJ1720.2+3536 (z = 0.391), RXJ1532.9+3021 (z = 0.345), and A383 (z = 0.187), respectively. Each SN was detected in Hubble Space Telescope optical and infrared images. Based on photometric classification, we find that SNe CLO12Car and CLN12Did are likely to be Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), while the classification of SN CLA11Tib is inconclusive. Using multi-color light-curve fits to determine a standardized SN Ia luminosity distance, we infer that SN CLO12Car was ∼1.0 ± 0.2 mag brighter than field SNe Ia at a similar redshift and ascribe this to gravitational lens magnification. Similarly, SN CLN12Did is ∼0.2 ± 0.2 mag brighter than field SNe Ia. We derive independent estimates of the predicted magnification from CLASH strong+weak-lensing maps of the clusters (in magnitude units, 2.5 log10μ): 0.83 ± 0.16 mag for SN CLO12Car, 0.28 ± 0.08 mag for SN CLN12Did, and 0.43 ± 0.11 mag for SN CLA11Tib. The two SNe Ia provide a new test of the cluster lens model predictions: we find that the magnifications based on the SN Ia brightness and those predicted by the lens maps are consistent. Our results herald the promise of future observations of samples of cluster-lensed SNe Ia (from the ground or space) to help illuminate the dark-matter distribution in clusters of galaxies, through the direct determination of absolute magnifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effect that peculiar velocities have on the cosmological inferences we make using luminosity distance indicators, such as Type Ia supernovae. In particular we study the corrections required to account for (1) our own motion, (2) correlations in galaxy motions, and (3) a possible local under- or overdensity. For all of these effects we present a case study showing the impact on the cosmology derived by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey (SDSS-II SN Survey). Correcting supernova (SN) redshifts for the cosmic microwave background (CMB) dipole slightly overcorrects nearby SNe that share some of our local motion. We show that while neglecting the CMB dipole would cause a shift in the derived equation of state of Δw ~ 0.04 (at fixed Ωm), the additional local-motion correction is currently negligible (Δw ≲ 0.01). We then demonstrate a covariance-matrix approach to statistically account for correlated peculiar velocities. This down-weights nearby SNe and effectively acts as a graduated version of the usual sharp low-redshift cut. Neglecting coherent velocities in the current sample causes a systematic shift of Δw ~ 0.02. This will therefore have to be considered carefully when future surveys aim for percent-level accuracy and we recommend our statistical approach to down-weighting peculiar velocities as a more robust option than a sharp low-redshift cut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new formalism to fit the parameters α and β that are used in the SALT2 model to determine the standard magnitudes of Type la supernovae (SNe Ia). The new formalism describes the intrinsic scatter in SNe Ia by a covariance matrix in place of the single parameter normally used. We have applied this formalism to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Supernova Survey (SDSS-II) data and conclude that the data are best described by α = Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. and β = Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed., where the error is dominated by the uncertainty in the form of the intrinsic scatter matrix. Our result depends on the introduction of a more general form for the intrinsic scatter of the distance moduli of SNe la than is conventional, resulting in a larger value of β and a larger uncertainty than the conventional approach. Although this analysis results in a larger value of β and a larger error, the SDSS data differ (at a 98% confidence level) from β -- 4.1, the value expected for extinction by the type of dust found in the Milky Way. We have modeled the distribution of SNe Ia in terms of their color and conclude that there is strong evidence that variation in color is a significant contributor to the scatter of SNe la around their standard candle magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an overview of a deep transient survey of the COSMOS field with the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). The survey was performed for the 1.77 deg2 ultra-deep layer and 5.78 deg2 deep layer in the Subaru Strategic Program over six- and four-month periods from 2016 to 2017, respectively. The ultra-deep layer reaches a median depth per epoch of 26.4, 26.3, 26.0, 25.6, and 24.6 mag in g, r, i, z , and y bands, respectively; the deep layer is ∼0.6 mag shallower. In total, 1824 supernova candidates were identified. Based on light-curve fitting and derived light-curve shape parameter, we classified 433 objects as Type Ia supernovae (SNe); among these candidates, 129 objects have spectroscopic or COSMOS2015 photometric redshifts and 58 objects are located at z > 1. Our unique data set doubles the number of Type Ia SNe at z > 1 and enables various time-domain analyses of Type II SNe, high-redshift superluminous SNe, variable stars, and active galactic nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II SN Survey to search for dependencies between SN Ia properties and the projected distance to the host-galaxy center, using the distance as a proxy for local galaxy properties (local star formation rate, local metallicity, etc.). The sample consists of almost 200 spectroscopically or photometrically confirmed SNe Ia at redshifts below 0.25. The sample is split into two groups depending on the morphology of the host galaxy. We fit light curves using both MLCS2K2 and SALT2, and determine color (AV, c) and light-curve shape (Δ, x1) parameters for each SN Ia, as well as its residual in the Hubble diagram. We then correlate these parameters with both the physical and the normalized distances to the center of the host galaxy and look for trends in the mean values and scatters of these parameters with increasing distance. The most significant (at the 4σ level) finding is that the average fitted AV from MLCS2K2 and c from SALT2 decrease with the projected distance for SNe Ia in spiral galaxies. We also find indications that supernovae (SNe) in elliptical galaxies tend to have narrower light curves if they explode at larger distances, although this may be due to selection effects in our sample. We do not find strong correlations between the residuals of the distance moduli with respect to the Hubble flow and the galactocentric distances, which indicates a limited correlation between SN magnitudes after standardization and local host metallicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Supernova Survey-II (SDSS-II SN Survey), we measure the rate of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) as a function of galaxy properties at intermediate redshift. A sample of 342 SNe Ia with 0.05 < z < 0.25 is constructed. Using broadband photometry and redshifts, we use the PÉGASE.2 spectral energy distributions to estimate host galaxy stellar masses and recent star formation rates (SFRs). We find that the rate of SNe Ia per unit stellar mass is significantly higher (by a factor of ∼30) in highly star-forming galaxies compared to passive galaxies. When parameterizing the SN Ia rate (SNRIa) based on host galaxy properties, we find that the rate of SNe Ia in passive galaxies is not linearly proportional to the stellar mass; instead an SNRIa∝M0.68 is favored. However, such a parameterization does not describe the observed SNRIa in star-forming galaxies. The SNRIa in star-forming galaxies is well fitted by SNRIa = (0.41 ± 0.15) × 10–10M0.72 ± 0.15 + (0.65 ± 0.25) × 10–3SFR1.01 ± 0.22 (statistical errors only), where M is the host galaxy stellar mass (in M☼) and SFR is the SFR (in M☼ yr–1). We show that our results, for SNe Ia in passive galaxies, are consistent with those at higher redshifts (favoring SNRIa∝M) when accounting for the difference in the ages of our galaxies. This suggests that the rate of SNe Ia is correlated with the age of the stellar population. The MLCS extinction parameter, AV, is similar in passive and moderately star-forming galaxies, but we find indications that it is smaller, on average, in highly star-forming galaxies. This result appears to be driven by a deficit of the reddest (AV > 0.15) SNe Ia in highly star-forming galaxies. We consider that the high levels of dust in these systems may be obscuring the reddest and faintest SNe Ia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supernova (SN) cosmology without spectroscopic confirmation is an exciting new frontier, which we address here with the Bayesian Estimation Applied to Multiple Species (BEAMS) algorithm and the full three years of data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II Supernova Survey (SDSS-II SN). BEAMS is a Bayesian framework for using data from multiple species in statistical inference when one has the probability that each data point belongs to a given species, corresponding in this context to different types of SNe with their probabilities derived from their multi-band light curves. We run the BEAMS algorithm on both Gaussian and more realistic SNANA simulations with of order 104 SNe, testing the algorithm against various pitfalls one might expect in the new and somewhat uncharted territory of photometric SN cosmology. We compare the performance of BEAMS to that of both mock spectroscopic surveys and photometric samples that have been cut using typical selection criteria. The latter typically either are biased due to contamination or have significantly larger contours in the cosmological parameters due to small data sets. We then apply BEAMS to the 792 SDSS-II photometric SNe with host spectroscopic redshifts. In this case, BEAMS reduces the area of the Ωm, ΩΛ contours by a factor of three relative to the case where only spectroscopically confirmed data are used (297 SNe). In the case of flatness, the constraints obtained on the matter density applying BEAMS to the photometric SDSS-II data are ΩBEAMSm = 0.194 ± 0.07. This illustrates the potential power of BEAMS for future large photometric SN surveys such as Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]