HIGH DYNAMIC-RANGE VLA(1) OBSERVATIONS OF THE GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED QUASAR-0957+561

We present 2, 3.6, 6, and 20 cm radio maps of the gravitationally lens ed quasar 0957+561 obtained with the VLA in A configuration. Besides t he well-known jet and lobe structure associated with image A and the p oint sources associated with image B and the radio source G, the new 3 .6 cm maps show interesting extensions of radio source G towards and a way from B and the 20 cm map shows a large amount of extended structur e. some of it not seen before. We argue that at least some of the 3.6 cm extensions of G are the radio jet associated with image B placing t he caustic for multiple images outside the radio jet emitting region. The central portion of the extended 20 cm emission may be an ''Einstei n ring'' produced by faint radio emission located at the caustic while the northern and southern portions of the extended 20 cm emission res emble the outer lobes of a faint ''classical double'' source with an a xis nearly perpendicular to the axis of the jet and lobe emission asso ciated with image A. if these outer ''lobes'' are second images of the lobes associated with image A then they are very difficult to underst and theoretically. Most likely they are the radio lobes of the galaxy G1. Relative. point source positions are presented and compared to pub lished VLBI positions and recently obtained optical positions from HST confirming that the VLA source G is coincident (+/-0.02 '') with both the VLBI source G' and the nucleus of the lensing galaxy G1. However, all or a portion of radio source G/G' may still be the elusive third image of the quasar rather than a radio source associated with galaxy G1, fluxes, spectral indices and flux ratios are presented and compare d to values found in the literature, A portion of the 20 cm extended e mission occurs in a region where extended X-ray emission was reported to be detected by Einstein and ROSAT. However, a re-analysis of the RO SAT data shows little evidence for this emission. (C) 1997 American As tronomical Society. [S0004-6256(97)01812-8].