H0LiCOW - V. New COSMOGRAIL time delays of HE 0435-1223: H0 to 3.8 per cent precision from strong lensing in a flat Lambda CDM model

We present a new measurement of the Hubble Constant H sub( 0) and other cosmological parameters based on the joint analysis of three multiply imaged quasar systems with measured gravitational time delays. First, we measure the time delay of HE 0435-1223 from 13-yr light curves obtained as part of the COSMOGRAIL project. Companion papers detail the modelling of the main deflectors and line-of-sight effects, and how these data are combined to determine the time-delay distance of HE 0435-1223. Crucially, the measurements are carried out blindly with respect to cosmological parameters in order to avoid confirmation bias. We then combine the time-delay distance of HE 0435-1223 with previous measurements from systems B1608+656 and RXJ1131-1231 to create a Time Delay Strong Lensing probe (TDSL). In flat Lambda cold dark matter ( Lambda CDM) with free matter and energy density, we find H sub( 0) =71.9... km s super( -1) Mpc super( -1) and Omega sub( Lambda )=0.62... This measurement is completely independent of, and in agreement with, the local distance ladder measurements of H sub( 0). We explore more general cosmological models combining TDSL with other probes, illustrating its power to break degeneracies inherent to other methods. The joint constraints from TDSL and Planck are H sub( 0) = 69.2... km s super( -1) Mpc super( -1) , Omega sub( Lambda )=0.70... and Omega sub( k)=0.003+0.004-0.006 in open ...CDM and H sub( 0) =79.0... km s super( -1) Mpc super( -1), Omega sub( de)=0.77... and w=-1.38... in flat wCDM. In combination with Planck and baryon acoustic oscillation data, when relaxing the constraints on the numbers of relativistic species we find N sub( eff) = 3.34... in N sub( eff) Lambda CDM and when relaxing the total mass of neutrinos we find ...m sub( ...) less than or equal to ...0.182 eV in m sub( nu )...CDM. Finally, in an open wCDM in combination with Planck and cosmic microwave background lensing, we find H sub( 0) =77.9... km s super( -1) Mpc super( -1), Omega sub( de) = 0.77..., Omega sub( k) = -0.003... and w=-1.37... (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)