2,727 research outputs found
HE 0047-1756: A new gravitationally lensed double QSO
The quasar HE 0047-1756, at z=1.67, is found to be split into two images
1.44" apart by an intervening galaxy acting as a gravitational lens. The flux
ratio for the two components is roughly 3.5:1, depending slightly upon
wavelength. The lensing galaxy is seen on images obtained at 800 nm and 2.1
\mu; there is also a nearby faint object which may be responsible for some
shear. The spectra of the two quasar images are nearly identical, but the
emission line ratio between the two components scale differently from the
continuum. Moreover, the fainter component has a bluer continuum slope than the
brighter one. We argue that these small differences are probably due to
microlensing. There are hints of an Einstein ring emanating from the brighter
image toward the fainter one.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to A&A Letter
Charged Lepton Electric Dipole Moments from TeV Scale Right-handed Neutrinos
We study the connection between charged lepton electric dipole moments,
, and seesaw neutrino mass generation in a simple two Higgs
doublet extension of the Standard Model plus three right-handed neutrinos (RHN)
, . For RHN with hierarchical masses and at least one with mass
in the 10 TeV range we obtain the upper bounds of
e-cm and e-cm. Our scenario favors the normal
mass hierarchy for the light neutrinos. We also calculated the cross section
for e^-e^- \ra W^- W^- in a high luminosity collider with constraints from
neutrinoless double beta decay of nuclei included. Among the rare muon decay
experiments we find that \mu\ra e\gamma is most sensitive and the upper limit
is .Comment: references added, typos correcte
The Gravitational Lens Candidate FBQ 1633+3134
We present our ground-based optical imaging, spectral analysis, and high
resolution radio mapping of the gravitational lens candidate FBQ 1633+3134.
This z=1.52, B=17.7 quasar appears double on CCD images with an image
separation of 0.66 arcseconds and a flux ratio of ~3:1 across BVRI filters. A
single 0.27 mJy radio source is detected at 8.46 GHz, coincident to within an
arcsecond of both optical components, but no companion at radio wavelengths is
detected down to a flux level of 0.1 mJy (3 sigma). Spectral observations
reveal a rich metal-line absorption system consisting of a strong Mg II doublet
and associated Fe I and Fe II absorption features, all at an intervening
redshift of z=0.684, suggestive of a lensing galaxy. Point spread function
subtraction however shows no obvious signs of a third object between the two
quasar images, and places a detection limit of I > 23.0 if such an object
exists. Although the possibility that FBQ 1633+3134 is a binary quasar cannot
be ruled out, the evidence is consistent with it being a single quasar lensed
by a faint, metal-rich galaxy.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by AJ. A calibration error affecting B
and V band apparent magnitudes has been corrected. The conclusions of the
paper are not change
A Search for Distant Galactic Cepheids Toward l=60
We present results of a survey of a 6-square-degree region near l=60, b=0 to
search for distant Milky Way Cepheids. Few MW Cepheids are known at distances
>~ R_0, limiting large-scale MW disk models derived from Cepheid kinematics;
this work was designed to find a sample of distant Cepheids for use in such
models. The survey was conducted in the V and I bands over 8 epochs, to a
limiting I~=18, with a total of ~ 5 million photometric observations of ~ 1
million stars. We present a catalog of 578 high-amplitude variables discovered
in this field. Cepheid candidates were selected from this catalog on the basis
of variability and color change, and observed again the following season. We
confirm 10 of these candidates as Cepheids with periods from 4 to 8 days, most
at distances > 3 kpc. Many of the Cepheids are heavily reddened by intervening
dust, some with implied extinction A_V > 10 mag. With a future addition of
infrared photometry and radial velocities, these stars alone can provide a
constraint on R_0 to 8%, and in conjunction with other known Cepheids should
provide good estimates of the global disk potential ellipticity.Comment: 18 pages, 4 tables, 13 figures (LaTeX / AASTeX
CTQ 414: A New Gravitational Lens
We report the discovery and ground based observations of the new
gravitational lens CTQ 414. The source quasar lies at a redshift of z = 1.29
with a B magnitude of 17.6. Ground based optical imaging reveals two point
sources separated by 1.2 arcsec with a magnitude difference of roughly 1 mag.
Subtraction of two stellar point spread functions from images obtained in
subarcsecond seeing consistently leaves behind a faint, residual object. Fits
for two point sources plus an extended object places the fainter object
collinear with the two brighter components. Subsequent HST/NICMOS observations
have confirmed the identification of the fainter object as the lensing galaxy.
VLA observations at 8.46 GHz reveal that all components of the lensing system
are radio quiet down to the 0.2 mJy flux level.Comment: Latex, 18 pages including 2 ps figures; accepted for publication in
A
CTQ 839: Candidate for the Smallest Projected Separation Binary Quasar
We report the discovery of the new double quasar CTQ 839. This B = 18.3,
radio quiet quasar pair is separated by 2.1" in BRIH filters with magnitude
differences of delta m_B = 2.5, delta m_R = delta m_I = 1.9, and delta m_H =
2.3. Spectral observations reveal both components to be z = 2.24 quasars, with
relative redshifts that agree at the 100 km/s level, but exhibit pronounced
differences in the equivalent widths of related emission features, as well as
an enhancement of blue continuum flux in the brighter component longward of the
Ly alpha emission feature. In general, similar redshift double quasars can be
the result of a physical binary pair, or a single quasar multiply imaged by
gravitational lensing. Empirical PSF subtraction of R and H band images of CTQ
839 reveal no indication of a lensing galaxy, and place a detection limit of R
= 22.5 and H = 17.4 for a third component in the system. For an Einstein-de
Sitter cosmology and SIS model, the R band detection limit constrains the
characteristics of any lensing galaxy to z_lens >= 1 with a corresponding
luminosity of L >~ 5 L_*, while an analysis based on the redshift probability
distribution for the lensing galaxy argues against the existence of a z_lens >~
1 lens at the 2 sigma level. A similar analysis for a Lambda dominated
cosmology, however, does not significantly constrain the existence of any
lensing galaxy. The broadband flux differences, spectral dissimilarities, and
failure to detect a lensing galaxy make the lensing hypothesis for CTQ 839
unlikely. The similar redshifts of the two components would then argue for a
physical quasar binary. At a projected separation of 8.3/h kpc (Omega_matter =
1), CTQ 839 would be the smallest projected separation binary quasar currently
known.Comment: Latex, 23 pages including 5 ps figures; accepted for publication in
A
A microlensing measurement of dark matter fractions in three lensing galaxies
Direct measurements of dark matter distributions in galaxies are currently
only possible through the use of gravitational lensing observations.
Combinations of lens modelling and stellar velocity dispersion measurements
provide the best constraints on dark matter distributions in individual
galaxies, however they can be quite complex. In this paper, we use observations
and simulations of gravitational microlensing to measure the smooth (dark)
matter mass fraction at the position of lensed images in three lens galaxies:
MG 0414+0534, SDSS J0924+0219 and Q2237+0305. The first two systems consist of
early-type lens galaxies, and both display a flux ratio anomaly in their close
image pair. Anomalies such as these suggest a high smooth matter percentage is
likely, and indeed we prefer ~50 per cent smooth matter in MG 0414+0534, and
~80 per cent in SDSS J0924+0219 at the projected locations of the lensed
images. Q2237+0305 differs somewhat in that its lensed images lie in the
central kiloparsec of the barred spiral lens galaxy, where we expect stars to
dominate the mass distribution. In this system, we find a smooth matter
percentage that is consistent with zero.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Chandra Detects a Rapid Flare in the Gravitationally Lensed Mini-BALQSO RX J0911.4+0551
The mini Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasar RX J0911.4+0551 was observed with
the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) of the Chandra X-ray Observatory
for ~ 29 ks as part of a gravitational lens (GL) survey aimed at measuring
time-delays. Timing analysis of the light-curve of the lensed image A2 shows a
rapid flux variation with a duration of about 2000s. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
shows that the probability that a constant-intensity source would produce the
observed variability is less than ~ 0.2 percent. We discuss possible origins
for the observed short-term X-ray variability. Our gravitational lens models
for the RX J0911.4+0551 GL system predict a time-delay of less than a day
between images A1 and A2. The rapid variability combined with the predicted
short-time delay make RX J0911.4+0551 an ideal system to apply the GL method
for estimating the Hubble constant. We describe the prospects of measuring H_0
within single X-ray observations of GL systems with relatively short time
delays. Modeling of the spectrum of the mini-BAL quasar RX J0911.4+0551
suggests the presence of an intrinsic absorber. Partial covering models are
slightly preferred over models that contain absorption due to intrinsic ionized
or neutral gas.Comment: 17 pages, includes 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
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