Qualitative Theory for Lensed QSOs

Abstract

We show that some characteristics of multiply-imaged QSO systems are very model-independent and can be deduced accurately by simply scrutinizing the relative positions of images and galaxy-lens center. These include the time-ordering of the images, the orientation of the lens potential, and the rough morphology of any ring. Other features can differ considerably between specific models; H_0 is an example. Surprisingly, properties inherited from a circularly symmetric lens system are model-dependent, whereas features that arise from the breaking of circular symmetry are model-independent. We first develop these results from some abstract geometrical ideas, then illustrate them for some well-known systems (the quads Q2237+030, H1413+117, HST14113+5211, PG1115+080, MG0414+0534, B1608+656, B1422+231, and RXJ0911+0551, and the ten-image system B1933+507), and finally remark on two systems (B1359+154 and PMN J0134-0931) where the lens properties are more complex. We also introduce a Java applet which produces simple lens systems, and helps further illustrate the concepts.

26 pages, incl. 15 figs; accepted to AJ; java applet available at http://ankh-morpork.maths.qmw.ac.uk/~saha/astron/lens/

References in corpus (8)

• Gravitational Lensing in Astronomy
• Lensing Degeneracies Revisited
• A Determination of H_0 with the CLASS Gravitational Lens B1608+656: I. Time Delay Measurements with the VLA
• Analytic Time Delays and H_0 Estimates for Gravitational Lenses
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• B1359+154: A Six Image Lens Produced by a z=1 Compact Group of Galaxies
• PMN J0134-0931: A gravitationally lensed quasar with an unusual radio morphology
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