Source Size Limitation from Variabilities of a Lensed Quasar

In the case of gravitationally-lensed quasars, it is well-known that there is a time delay between occurrence of the intrinsic variabilities in each split image. Generally, the source of variabilities has a finite size, and there are time delays even in one image. If the origin of variabilities is widely distributed, say over \gsim 100 pc as whole, variabilities between split images will not show a good correlation even though their origin is identical. Using this fact, we are able to limit the whole source size of variabilities in a quasar below the limit of direct resolution by today's observational instruments.Comment: 15 pages LaTeX, 3 figures, accepted to ApJ Letter. e-mail: [email protected]

Recent Progress of RF Cavity Study at Mucool Test Area

In order to develop an RF cavity that is applicable for a muon beam cooling channel, a new facility, called Mucool Test Area (MTA) has been built at Fermilab. MTA is a unique facility whose purpose is to test RF cavities in various conditions. There are 201 and 805 MHz high power sources, a 4-Tesla solenoid magnet, a cryogenic system including a Helium liquifier, an explosion proof apparatus to operate gaseous/liquid Hydrogen, and a beam transport line to send an intense H- beam from the Fermilab Linac accelerator to the MTA hall. Recent activities at MTA will be discussed in this document.Comment: 4 pp. 13th International Workshop on Neutrino Factories, Superbeams and Beta beams (NuFact11) 1-6 Aug 2011: Geneva, Switzerlan

Three-dimensional Mapping of CDM Substructure at Submillimeter Wavelengths

The cold dark matter (CDM) structure formation model predicts that about 5-10 percent of a typical galactic halo of mass \sim 10^{12} \ms is in substructures with masses \lesssim 10^8 \ms. To directly detect such substructures, we propose to observe dust continuum emission from a strongly lensed QSO-host galaxy using a large submillimeter interferometer array with a high angular resolution of $\sim 0.01$arcsec such as the planned Atacama Large Submillimeter Array (ALMA). To assess their observational feasibility, we numerically simulate millilensing of an extended circular source by a CDM substructure modeled as a tidally truncated singular isothermal sphere (SIS) embedded in a typical QSO-galaxy lens system, B1422+231, modeled as a singular isothermal ellipsoid (SIE) with an external constant shear and a constant convergence. Assuming an angular resolution of 0.01arcsec, we find that the angular positions of \sim 10^8 \ms substructures at several kpc from the center of the macrolens halo can be directly measured if the size of the dust continuum emission region and the gradient of the surface brightness at the position of the perturber are sufficiently large. From the astrometric shift on a scale of a few times $10~$mas of an image perturbed by a subhalo with respect to an unperturbed macrolensed image, we can break the degeneracy between subhalo mass and distance provided that macrolensing parameters are determined from positions and fluxes of multiple images.Comment: 7 pages, 7 EPS files. An assessment of our assumption of constancy in shear and convergence has been included. Version accepted for publication in Ap

Evidence for a source size of less than 2000 AU in Quasar 2237+0305

Recently, OGLE team have reported clear quasar microlensing signal in Q2237+0305. We have analyzed the microlens event of ``image C'' by using their finely and densely sampled lightcurves. From lightcurve fitting, we can unambiguously set the source size of \lsim 0.98 Einstein Ring radius as a conservative limit. This limit corresponds to $2000 {\rm (AU)}$, if we adopt $M_{\rm lens} \sim 0.1M_{\odot}$ obtained by a recent statistical study of mean mass of lens object. This gives a clear evidence for the existence of an accretion disk in the central region of the quasar.Comment: 11 pages, including 1 table and 3 figures, accepted to ApJ

Integral field spectroscopy of four lensed quasars: analysis of their neighborhood and evidence for microlensing

CONTEXT: Gravitationally lensed quasars constitute an independent tool to derive H0 through time-delays; they offer as well the opportunity to study the mass distribution and interstellar medium of their lensing galaxies and, through microlensing they also allow one to study details of the emitting source. AIMS: For such studies, one needs to have an excellent knowledge of the close environment of the lensed images in order to model the lensing potential: this means observational data over a large field-of-view and spectroscopy at high spatial resolution. METHODS: We present VIMOS integral field observations around four lensed quasars: HE 0230-2130, RX J0911.4+0551, H 1413+117 and B 1359+154. Using the low, medium and high resolution modes, we study the quasar images and the quasar environments, as well as provide a detailed report of the data reduction. RESULTS: Comparison between the quasar spectra of the different images reveals differences for HE 0230-2130, RX J0911.4+0551 and H 1413+117: flux ratios between the images of the same quasar are different when measured in the emission lines and in the continuum. We have also measured the redshifts of galaxies in the neighborhood of HE 0230-2130 and RX J0911.4+0551 which possibly contribute to the total lensing potential. CONCLUSIONS: A careful analysis reveals that microlensing is the most natural explanation for the (de)magnification of the continuum emitting region of the background sources. In HE 0230-2130, image D is likely to be affected by microlensing magnification; in RX J0911.4+0551, images A1 and A3 are likely to be modified by microlensing de-magnification and in H 1413+117, at least image D is affected by microlensing.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A: January 7, 200

Imprint of Gravitational Lensing by Population III Stars in Gamma Ray Burst Light Curves

We propose a novel method to extract the imprint of gravitational lensing by Pop III stars in the light curves of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). Significant portions of GRBs can originate in hypernovae of Pop III stars and be gravitationally lensed by foreground Pop III stars or their remnants. If the lens mass is on the order of $10^2-10^3M_\odot$ and the lens redshift is greater than 10, the time delay between two lensed images of a GRB is $\approx 1$s and the image separation is $\approx 10 \mu$as. Although it is difficult to resolve the two lensed images spatially with current facilities, the light curves of two images are superimposed with a delay of $\approx 1$ s. GRB light curves usually exhibit noticeable variability, where each spike is less than 1s. If a GRB is lensed, all spikes are superimposed with the same time delay. Hence, if the autocorrelation of light curve with changing time interval is calculated, it should show the resonance at the time delay of lensed images. Applying this autocorrelation method to GRB light curves which are archived as the {\it BATSE} catalogue, we demonstrate that more than half light curves can show the recognizable resonance, if they are lensed. Furthermore, in 1821 GRBs we actually find one candidate of GRB lensed by a Pop III star, which may be located at redshift 20-200. The present method is quite straightforward and therefore provides an effective tool to search for Pop III stars at redshift greater than 10. Using this method, we may find more candidates of GRBs lensed by Pop III stars in the data by the {\it Swift} satellite.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Beam-Induced Electron Loading Effects in High Pressure Cavities for a Muon Collider

Ionization cooling is a critical building block for the realization of a muon collider. To suppress breakdown in the presence of the external magnetic field, an idea of using an RF cavity filled with high pressure hydrogen gas is being considered for the cooling channel design. One possible problem expected in the high pressure RF cavity is, however, the dissipation of significant RF power through the beam-induced electrons accumulated inside the cavity. To characterize this detrimental loading effect, we develop a simplified model that relates the electron density evolution and the observed pickup voltage signal in the cavity, with consideration of several key molecular processes such as the formation of the polyatomic molecules, recombination and attachment. This model is expected to be compared with the actual beam test of the cavity in the MuCool Test Area (MTA) of Fermilab