Resolving Complex Inner X-Ray Structure of the Gravitationally Lensed AGN MG B2016+112

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Abstract We use a Chandra X-ray observation of the gravitationally lensed system MG B2016+112 at z = 3.273 to elucidate the presence of at least two X-ray sources. We find that these sources are consistent with the very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) components measured by Spingola, which are separated by ∼200 pc. Their intrinsic 0.5–7 keV source frame luminosities are 1.5 × 1043 and 1.8 × 1044 erg s−1, respectively. Most likely this system contains a dual active galactic nucleus (AGN), but we are possibly detecting an AGN plus a parsec-scale X-ray jet, the latter lying in a region at very high magnification. The quadruply lensed X-ray source is within ±40 pc (1σ) of its VLBI counterpart. Using a gravitational lens as a telescope, and a novel statistical application, we have achieved unprecedented accuracy for measuring metric distances at such large redshifts in X-ray astronomy. This is tens of mas if the source is located close to the caustics, while it is of hundreds of mas if the source is in a region at lower amplification. The present demonstration of this approach has implications for future X-ray investigations of large numbers of lensed systems.