The influence of gravitational lensing on the spectra of lensed QSOs

Abstract

We consider the influence of (milli/micro)lensing on the spectra of lensed QSOs. We propose a method for the observational detection of microlensing in the spectra of lensed QSOs and apply it to the spectra of the three lensed QSOs (PG 1115+080, QSO 1413+117 and QSO 0957+561) observed with Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We find that the flux ratio between images A1 and A2 of PG 1115+080 is wavelength-dependent and shows differential magnification between the emission lines and the continuum. We interpret this magnification as arising from millilensing. We also find that the temporal variations in the continuum of image C of QSO 1413+117 may be caused by microlensing, while the temporal variation observed in QSO 0957+561 was probably an intrinsic one.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA