A Hubble Space Telescope lensing survey of X-ray luminous galaxy clusters.I. A383

We present an analysis of the mass distribution in the core of A383 (z = 0. 188), one of 12 X-ray luminous galaxy clusters at z similar to 0.2 selected for a comprehensive and unbiased study of the mass distribution in massive galaxy clusters. Deep optical imaging performed by the Hubble Space Telesc ope (HST) reveals a wide variety of gravitationally lensed features in the core of A383, including a giant are, two radial arcs in the halo of the cen tral cluster galaxy, several multiply imaged arcs, and numerous arclets. Ba sed upon the constraints from the various lensed features, we construct a d etailed model of the mass distribution in the central regions of the cluste r, taking into account both a cluster-scale potential and perturbations fro m individual cluster galaxies. Keck spectroscopy of one component of the gi ant are identifies it as an image of a star-forming galaxy at z = 1.01 and provides an accurate measurement of the mass of the cluster within the proj ected radius of the giant are (65 kpc) of (3.5 +/- 0.1) x 10(13) M.. Using the weak shear measured from our HST observations, we extend our mass model to larger scales and determine a mass of (1.8 +/- 0.2) x 10(14) M. within a radius of 250 kpc. On smaller scales we use the radial arcs to probe the shape of the total mass distribution in the cluster core (r less than or si milar to 20 kpc) and find that the density profile is more peaked than a si ngle Navarro, Frenk, & White (NFW) dark matter profile. Our findings imply that the dark matter in A383 may be more steeply peaked than NFW predict an d that the cD galaxy measurably perturbs the cluster potential well. The op tical and X-ray properties of A383 indicate the presence of a central cooli ng flow, for which we derive a mass deposition rate of greater than or simi lar to 2200 M. yr(-1). We also use the X-ray emission from A383 to obtain i ndependent estimates of the total mass within projected radii of 65 and 250 kpc: (4.0(-1.7)(+1.1)) x 10(13) and (1.2 +/- 0.5) x 10(14) M., which are c onsistent with the lensing measurements.