New database for a sample of optically bright lensed quasars in the northern hemisphere

In the framework of the Gravitational LENses and DArk MAtter (GLENDAMA) project, we present a database of nine gravitationally lensed quasars (GLQs) that have two or four images brighter than $r$ = 20 mag and are located in the northern hemisphere. This new database consists of a rich variety of follow-up observations included in the GLENDAMA global archive, which is publicly available online and contains 6557 processed astronomical frames of the nine lens systems over the period 1999$-$2016. In addition to the GLQs, our archive also incorporates binary quasars, accretion-dominated radio-loud quasars, and other objects, where about 50% of the non-GLQs were observed as part of a campaign to identify GLQ candidates. Most observations of GLQs correspond to an ongoing long-term macro-programme with 2$-$10 m telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, and these data provide information on the distribution of dark matter at all scales. We outline some previous results from the database, and we additionally obtain new results for several GLQs that update the potential of the tool for astrophysical studies.Comment: Accepted to A&A; 32 pages. Tables 4-6, 8-11 and 13-16 are only available in electronic form at the CDS and https://grupos.unican.es/glendama/LQLM_results.ht

'Round the Clock Observations of the Q0957+561 A,B Gravitationally Lensed Quasar

An observing campaign with 10 participating observatories has undertaken to monitor the optical brightness of the Q0957 gravitationally lensed quasar for 10 consecutive nights in January 2000. The resulting A image brightness curve has significant brightness fluctuations and makes a photometric prediction for the B image light curve for a second campaign planned for 12-21 March 2001. The ultimate purpose is to determine the gravitational lens time delay to a fraction of an hour, and to seek evidence for rapid microlensing.Comment: 8 pages, AASTeX 4.0, accepted by the Astrophysical Journa