paper

Flux ratios as a probe of dark substructures in quadruple-image gravitational lenses

arXiv:astro-ph/0111427 · doi:10.1086/339798

Abstract

We demonstrate that the flux ratios of 4-image lensed quasars provide a powerful means of probing the small scale structure of Dark Matter (DM) halos. A family of smooth lens models can precisely predict certain combinations of flux ratios using only the positions of the images and lens as inputs. Using 5 observed lens systems we show that real galaxies {\it cannot} be described by smooth singular isothermal ellipsoids, nor by the more general elliptical power-law potentials. Large scale distortions from the elliptical models can not yet be ruled out. Nevertheless we find, by comparing with simulations, that the data can be accounted for by a significant () amount of dark substructures within a projected distance of several kpc from the center of lenses. This interpretation favors the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model other the warm or self-interacting DM models.

6 pages with 2 PS figs, resubmitted to ApJ Letter, added a figure to show the amount of substruture needed and tables of model parameters

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