FURTHER OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE THAT MG J0414+0534 IS A GRAVITATIONAL MIRAGE

Deep imaging of MG J0414+0534 with R and I filters reveals a faint, fu zzy and red object at the exact location expected for a lensing galaxy in the gravitational mirage hypothesis. Furthermore, the (extremely r ed and almost featureless) spectra of the 2 brightest components are v ery similar. These are strong indications that the system results from multiple gravitational imaging of a single source, but the nature of this source is not yet clear. It could be the nucleus of a low metalli city galaxy at a high redshift or a new type of object. Significant di fferences are observed between the flux ratios of the images at radio and optical wavelengths. The most likely explanation for this effect i s a differential amplification of the image pair A(1)-A(2) because of the large magnification gradient near a caustic.