Gravitational Lensing Pairs in Clusters of Galaxies: A New Probe to the High-Redshift Universe

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (15) References (18) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Gravitational Lensing Pairs in Clusters of Galaxies: A New Probe to the High-Redshift Universe Miralda-Escude, Jordi ; Fort, Bernard Abstract The possibility of a new class of gravitationally lensed objects in clusters of galaxies is discussed: faint pairs of highly magnified images, which are on the same side of the cluster and close together. We calculate that there could be several such pairs in every lensing cluster if the number counts of faint galaxies continued to rise up to B = 29-30, with the same slope as for brighter sources, reaching values of order 1000 arcmin^-2^. Such faint sources should also have small angular sizes, ~0.1", in order for the two magnified images to remain separate, rather than merging into an arc. It is argued that such an abundance of faint sources would not be surprising in the context of the CDM model, where a large number of low circular velocity halos, which could host dwarf galaxies, are present at high redshift. The discovery and observation of a large number of such magnified pairs of images would provide unprecedented information on galaxy evolution and galaxy populations at high redshift. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: November 1993 DOI: 10.1086/187080 Bibcode: 1993ApJ...417L...5M Keywords: GALAXIES: CLUSTERING; GALAXIES: EVOLUTION; COSMOLOGY: GRAVITATIONAL LENSING full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (2)