HST Observations of the Gravitationally Lensed Cloverleaf Broad Absorption Line QSO H1413+1143: Modeling the Lens

Abstract

We investigate gravitational lens models for the quadruply-lensed Cloverleaf BAL QSO H1413+1143 based on the HST WFPC/WFPC2 astrometric and photometric data of the system by Turnshek et al. and the HST NICMOS-2 data by Falco et al. The accurate image positions and the dust-extinction-corrected relative amplifications, along with a possible detection of the lensing galaxy in the infrared, permit more accurate lens models than were previously possible. While more recent models are qualitatively consistent with the HST data, none of the previous models considered the dust-extinction-corrected relative amplifications of the image components. We use the power-law elliptical mass model to fit the HST data. We find that a single elliptical galaxy perturbed by an external shear can fit the image positions within the observational uncertainties; however, the predicted relative magnifications are only roughly consistent with the observational relative amplifications. We find that a primary galaxy combined with a secondary galaxy in the vicinity of the Cloverleaf or a cluster centered (south-)west of the Cloverleaf can fit both the image positions and relative amplifications within the observational uncertainties. We discuss future observations which could be used to test and/or further constrain lens models of the Cloverleaf.

23 pages (in aaspp.sty) including 5 tables and 3 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

References in corpus (3)

• Microlensing of Broad Absorption Line Quasars
• Resolution and Kinematics of Molecular Gas Surrounding the Cloverleaf Quasar at z=2.6 Using the Gravitational Lens
• Gravitational Lensing by Power-Law Mass Distributions: A Fast and Exact Series Approach

Cited by in corpus (13)

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• Discovery of Probable Relativistic Fe Emission and Absorption in the Cloverleaf Quasar H 1413+117
• A Study of QSO Evolution in the X-Ray Band with the Aid of Gravitational Lensing
• Chandra Observations of the Cloverleaf Quasar H 1413+117: A Unique Laboratory for Microlensing Studies of a Lobal Quasar
• Detection of a Companion Lens Galaxy using the Mid-infrared Flux Ratios of the Gravitationally Lensed Quasar H1413+117
• The Molecular Disk in the Cloverleaf Quasar
• Microlensing in H1413+117 : disentangling line profile emission and absorption in a broad absorption line quasar
• Discs in early-type lensing galaxies: effects on magnification ratios and measurements of $H_0$
• Integral field spectroscopy of four lensed quasars: analysis of their neighborhood and evidence for microlensing
• Time Delays in the Gravitationally Lensed Quasar H1413+117 (Cloverleaf)
• Detection of an Iron Emission Feature from the Lensed BAL QSO H1413+117 at z=2.56
• Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Gravitationally Lensed Cloverleaf Broad Absorption Line QSO H1413+1143: Imaging Polarimetry and Evidence for Microlensing of a Scattering Region
• Magnification relations of quad lenses and applications on Einstein crosses