Discovery of a new quadruple lens HST 1411+5211

Citation
P. Fischer et al., Discovery of a new quadruple lens HST 1411+5211, ASTROPHYS J, 503(2), 1998, pp. L127-L130
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
ISSN journal
0004637X → ACNP
Volume
503
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Part
2
Pages
L127 - L130
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-637X(19980820)503:2<L127:DOANQL>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
Gravitational lensing is an important tool for probing the mass distributio n of galaxies. In this Letter, we report the discovery of a new quadruple l ens HST 1411+5211 found in archived Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 images of the galaxy cluster CL 140933+5226. If the galaxy is a cluster member, then its redshift is z = 0.46. The images of the source appear unresolved in th e Wide-Field Camera, implying that the source is a quasar. We have modeled the lens as both a single galaxy and a galaxy plus a cluster. The latter mo del yields excellent fits to the image positions along with reasonable para meters for the galaxy and cluster, making HST 1411+5211 a likely gravitatio nal lens. Determination of the source redshift and confirmation of the lens redshift would allow us to put strong constraints on the mass distribution of the lensing galaxy.