Strong Lensing Systems Research Articles

Consistency testing for invariance of the speed of light at different redshifts: the newest results from strong lensing and Type Ia supernovae observations

ABSTRACT The invariance of the speed of light in the distant Universe has profound significance for fundamental physics. In this paper, we propose a new model-independent method to test the invariance of the speed of light c at different redshifts by combining the strong gravitational lensing (SGL) systems and the observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). All the quantities used to test the deviation of c come from the direct observations, and the absolute magnitudes of SNe Ia need not to be calibrated. Our results show that the speed of light in the distant Universe is no obvious deviation from the constant value c0 within the uncertainty based on current observations. Moreover, we conclude that the currently compiled SGL and SNe Ia Pantheon samples may achieve much higher precision Δc/c ∼ 10−2 for the deviation of c than all previously considered approaches. The forthcoming data from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time and Wide-Field InfraRed Space Telescope will achieve more stringent testing for deviation of the SOL (at the level of Δc/c ∼ 10−3) by using our model-independent method. Finally, we discuss the potential ways in which our technique might be improved, focusing on the treatment of possible sources of systematic uncertainties.

A new strategy for matching observed and simulated lensing galaxies

ABSTRACT The study of strong-lensing systems conventionally involves constructing a mass distribution that can reproduce the observed multiply imaging properties. Such mass reconstructions are generically non-unique. Here, we present an alternative strategy: instead of modelling the mass distribution, we search cosmological galaxy-formation simulations for plausible matches. In this paper, we test the idea on seven well-studied lenses from the SLACS survey. For each of these, we first pre-select a few hundred galaxies from the EAGLE simulations, using the expected Einstein radius as an initial criterion. Then, for each of these pre-selected galaxies, we fit for the source light distribution, while using MCMC optimization for the placement and orientation of the lensing galaxy, so as to reproduce the multiple images and arcs. The results indicate that the strategy is feasible and can easily reject unphysical galaxy-formation scenarios. It even yields relative posterior probabilities of two different galaxy-formation scenarios, though these are not statistically significant yet. Extensions to other observables, such as kinematics and colours of the stellar population in the lensing galaxy, are straightforward in principle, though we have not attempted it yet. Scaling to arbitrarily large numbers of lenses also appears feasible. This will be especially relevant for upcoming wide-field surveys, through which the number of galaxy lenses will rise possibly a hundredfold, which will overwhelm conventional modelling methods.

A comparative study of convolutional neural networks for the detection of strong gravitational lensing

ABSTRACT As we enter the era of large-scale imaging surveys with the upcoming telescopes such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), it is envisaged that the number of known strong gravitational lensing systems will increase dramatically. However, these events are still very rare and require the efficient processing of millions of images. In order to tackle this image processing problem, we present machine learning techniques and apply them to the gravitational lens finding challenge. The convolutional neural networks (CNNs) presented here have been reimplemented within a new, modular, and extendable framework, Lens EXtrActor CaTania University of Malta (LEXACTUM). We report an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9343 and 0.9870, and an execution time of 0.0061 and 0.0594 s per image, for the Space and Ground data sets, respectively, showing that the results obtained by CNNs are very competitive with conventional methods (such as visual inspection and arc finders) for detecting gravitational lenses.

The impact of line-of-sight structures on measuring H0 with strong lensing time delays

ABSTRACT Measurements of the Hubble–Lemaitre constant from early- and local-Universe observations show a significant discrepancy. In an attempt to understand the origin of this mismatch, independent techniques to measure H0 are required. One such technique, strong lensing time delays, is set to become a leading contender amongst the myriad methods due to forthcoming large strong lens samples. It is therefore critical to understand the systematic effects inherent in this method. In this paper, we quantify the influence of additional structures along the line of sight by adopting realistic light-cones derived from the cosmoDC2 semi-analytical extragalactic catalogue. Using multiple-lens plane ray tracing to create a set of simulated strong lensing systems, we have investigated the impact of line-of-sight structures on time-delay measurements and in turn, on the inferred value of H0. We have also tested the reliability of existing procedures for correcting for line-of-sight effects. We find that if the integrated contribution of the line-of-sight structures is close to a uniform mass sheet, the bias in H0 can be adequately corrected by including a constant external convergence κext in the lens model. However, for realistic line-of-sight structures comprising many galaxies at different redshifts, this simple correction overestimates the bias by an amount that depends linearly on the median external convergence. We therefore conclude that lens modelling must incorporate multiple-lens planes to account for line-of-sight structures for accurate and precise inference of H0.

A hybrid model of viscous and Chaplygin gas to tackle the Universe acceleration

Motivated by two seminal models proposed to explain the Universe acceleration, this paper is devoted to study a hybrid model which is constructed through a generalized Chaplygin gas with the addition of a bulk viscosity. We call the model a viscous generalized Chaplygin gas (VGCG) and its free parameters are constrained through several cosmological data like the Observational Hubble Parameter, Type Ia Supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, Strong Lensing Systems, HII Galaxies and using Joint Bayesian analysis. In addition, we implement a Om-diagnostic to analyze the VGCC dynamics and its difference with the standard cosmological model. The hybrid model shows important differences when compared with the standard cosmological model. Finally, based on our Joint analysis we find that the VGCG could be an interesting candidate to alleviate the well-known Hubble constant tension.

Constraining cosmological and galaxy parameters using strong gravitational lensing systems

Strong gravitational lensing along with the distance sum rule method can constrain both cosmological parameters as well as density profiles of galaxies without assuming any fiducial cosmological model. To constrain galaxy parameters and cosmic curvature $(\Omega_{k0})$, we use the distance ratio data from a recently compiled database of $161$ galactic scale strong lensing systems. We use databases of supernovae type-Ia (Pantheon) and Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) for calculating the luminosity distance. To study the model of the lens galaxy, we consider a general lens model namely, the Extended Power-Law model. Further, we take into account two different parametrisations of the mass density power-law index $(\gamma)$ to study the dependence of $\gamma$ on redshift. The best value of $\Omega_{k0}$ suggests a closed universe, though a flat universe is accommodated at $68\%$ confidence level. We find that parametrisations of $\gamma$ have a negligible impact on the best fit value of the cosmic curvature parameter. Furthermore, measurement of time delay can be a promising cosmographic probe via "time delay distance" that includes the ratio of distances between the observer, the lens and the source. We again use the distance sum rule method with time-delay distance dataset of H0LiCOW to put constraints on the Cosmic Distance Duality Relation (CDDR) and the cosmic curvature parameter $(\Omega_{k0})$. For this we consider two different redshift-dependent parametrisations of the distance duality parameter $(\eta)$. The best fit value of $\Omega_{k0}$ clearly indicates an open universe. However, a flat universe can be accommodated at $95\%$ confidence level. Further, at $95\%$ confidence level, no violation of CDDR is observed. We believe that a larger sample of strong gravitational lensing systems is needed in order to improve the constraints on the cosmic curvature and distance duality parameter.

Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity: Is it compatible with modern cosmology?

Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet (EGB) model is recently restudied in order to analyze new consequences in gravitation, modifying appropriately the Einstein–Hilbert action. The consequences in EGB cosmology are mainly geometric, with higher order values in the Hubble parameter. In this vein this paper is devoted to contribute with extra evidences about its pros and cons of the model from a cosmological point of view. We start constraining the characteristic parameter, α , of the EGB model when a cosmological constant as the catalyst for the acceleration is considered. The constrictions are developed at the background cosmology using Observational Hubble Data, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, Supernovas of the Ia type, Strong Lensing Systems and the recent compilation of HII Galaxies. Additionally, we implement a statefinder analysis where we found not only a late acceleration but also an early Universe acceleration which is associated with the parameter α . Based on our results of the lensing systems, the Universe evolution never reaches a non accelerated phase, instead it is always presented in an accelerated state, being a possible fault that afflicts the EGB model.

Measurements of the Hubble constant and cosmic curvature with quasars: ultracompact radio structure and strong gravitational lensing

ABSTRACT Although the Hubble constant H0 and spatial curvature ΩK have been measured with very high precision, they still suffer from some tensions. In this paper, we propose an improved method to combine the observations of ultracompact structure in radio quasars and strong gravitational lensing with quasars acting as background sources to determine H0 and ΩK simultaneously. By applying the distance sum rule to the time-delay measurements of seven strong lensing systems and 120 intermediate-luminosity quasars calibrated as standard rulers, we obtain stringent constraints on the Hubble constant (H0 = 78.3 ± 2.9 km s−1 Mpc−1) and the cosmic curvature (ΩK = 0.49 ± 0.24). On the one hand, in the framework of a flat universe, the measured Hubble constant ($H_0=73.6^{+1.8}_{-1.6} \mathrm{\,km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$) is strongly consistent with that derived from the local distance ladder, with a precision of 2 per cent. On the other hand, if we use the local H0 measurement as a prior, our results are marginally compatible with zero spatial curvature ($\Omega _K=0.23^{+0.15}_{-0.17}$) and there is no significant deviation from a flat universe. Finally, we also evaluate whether strongly lensed quasars would produce robust constraints on H0 and ΩK in the non-flat and flat Λ cold dark matter model, if the compact radio structure measurements are available from very long baseline interferometry observations.

Discovering New Strong Gravitational Lenses in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys

Abstract We have conducted a search for new strong gravitational lensing systems in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys’ Data Release 8. We use deep residual neural networks, building on previous work presented by Huang et al. These surveys together cover approximately one-third of the sky visible from the Northern Hemisphere, reaching a z-band AB magnitude of ∼22.5. We compile a training sample that consists of known lensing systems as well as non-lenses in the Legacy Surveys and the Dark Energy Survey. After applying our trained neural networks to the survey data, we visually inspect and rank images with probabilities above a threshold. Here we present 1210 new strong lens candidates.

A Distance-deviation Consistency and Model-independent Method to Test the Cosmic Distance–Duality Relation

Abstract A distance-deviation consistency and model-independent method to test the cosmic distance–duality relation (CDDR) is provided. This method is worthy of attention for two reasons. First, a distance-deviation consistency method is used to pair subsamples: instead of pairing subsamples with redshift deviations smaller than a value of, say, . The redshift deviation between subsamples decreases with the redshift to ensure the distance deviation stays the same. The method selects more subsamples at high redshift, up to z = 2.16, and provides 120 subsample pairs. Second, the model-independent method involves the latest data set of 1048 SNe Ia and 205 strong gravitational lensing systems (SGLS), which are used to obtain the luminosity distances D L and the ratio of angular diameter distance D A , respectively. With the model-independent method, parameters of the CDDR, the SNe Ia light curve, and the SGLS are fitted simultaneously. The result shows that and CDDR is validated at the 1σ confidence level in the form of .

The velocity dispersion function of early-type galaxies and its redshift evolution: the newest results from lens redshift test

ABSTRACT The redshift distribution of galactic-scale lensing systems provides a laboratory to probe the velocity dispersion function (VDF) of early-type galaxies (ETGs) and measure the evolution of ETGs at redshift z ∼ 1. Through the statistical analysis of the currently largest sample of ETG gravitational lenses, we conclude that the VDF inferred solely from strong lensing systems is well consistent with the measurements of SDSS DR5 data in the local Universe. In particular, our results strongly indicate a decline in the number density of lenses by a factor of two and a 20 per cent increase in the characteristic velocity dispersion for the ETG population at z ∼ 1. Such VDF evolution is in perfect agreement with the ΛCDM paradigm (i.e. the hierarchical build-up of mass structures over cosmic time) and different from ‘stellar mass-downsizing’ evolutions obtained by many galaxy surveys. Meanwhile, we also quantitatively discuss the evolution of the VDF shape in a more complex evolution model, which reveals its strong correlation with the number density and velocity dispersion of ETGs. Finally, we evaluate if future missions such as LSST can be sensitive enough to place the most stringent constraints on the redshift evolution of ETGs, based on the redshift distribution of available gravitational lenses.

Gravitational Lensing and Dynamics (GLaD): combined analysis to unveil properties of high-redshift galaxies

The dynamical modelling of integral field unit (IFU) stellar kinematics is a powerful tool to unveil the dynamical structure and mass build-up of galaxies in the local Universe, while gravitational lensing is nature’s cosmic telescope to explore the properties of galaxies beyond the local Universe. We present a new approach, which unifies dynamical modelling of galaxies with the magnification power of strong gravitational lensing, to reconstruct the structural and dynamical properties of high-redshift galaxies. By means of axisymmetric Jeans modelling, we create a dynamical model of the source galaxy, assuming a surface brightness and surface mass density profile. We then predict how the source’s surface brightness and kinematics would look when lensed by the foreground mass distribution and compare with the mock observed arcs of strong gravitational lensing systems. For demonstration purposes, we created and also analysed mock data of the strong lensing system RX J1131−1231. By modelling both the lens and source, we recover the dynamical mass within the effective radius of strongly lensed high-redshift sources within 5% uncertainty, and we improve the constraints on the lens mass parameters by up to 50%. This machinery is particularly well-suited for future observations from large segmented-mirror telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, which will yield high sensitivity and angular-resolution IFU data for studies on distant and faint galaxies.

The KBC void and Hubble tension contradict ΛCDM on a Gpc scale − Milgromian dynamics as a possible solution

ABSTRACT The KBC void is a local underdensity with the observed relative density contrast δ ≡ 1 − ρ/ρ0 = 0.46 ± 0.06 between 40 and 300 Mpc around the Local Group. If mass is conserved in the Universe, such a void could explain the 5.3σ Hubble tension. However, the MXXL simulation shows that the KBC void causes 6.04σ tension with standard cosmology (ΛCDM). Combined with the Hubble tension, ΛCDM is ruled out at 7.09σ confidence. Consequently, the density and velocity distribution on Gpc scales suggest a long-range modification to gravity. In this context, we consider a cosmological MOND model supplemented with $11 \, \rm {eV}/c^{2}$ sterile neutrinos. We explain why this νHDM model has a nearly standard expansion history, primordial abundances of light elements, and cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. In MOND, structure growth is self-regulated by external fields from surrounding structures. We constrain our model parameters with the KBC void density profile, the local Hubble and deceleration parameters derived jointly from supernovae at redshifts 0.023−0.15, time delays in strong lensing systems, and the Local Group velocity relative to the CMB. Our best-fitting model simultaneously explains these observables at the $1.14{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ confidence level (2.53σ tension) if the void is embedded in a time-independent external field of ${0.055 \, a_{_0}}$. Thus, we show for the first time that the KBC void can naturally resolve the Hubble tension in Milgromian dynamics. Given the many successful a priori MOND predictions on galaxy scales that are difficult to reconcile with ΛCDM, Milgromian dynamics supplemented by $11 \, \rm {eV}/c^{2}$ sterile neutrinos may provide a more holistic explanation for astronomical observations across all scales.

Predictions for Strong-lens Detections with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Abstract Strong gravitational lensing is an ideal tool for mapping the distribution of dark matter and for testing the values of cosmological parameters. Forthcoming surveys such as Euclid and the Rubin Observatory Large Synoptic Telescope Survey should increase the number of known strong lensing systems significantly, with for example over 100,000 such systems predicted in the Euclid wide survey. In this short research note we predict that approximately 17,000 strong gravitational lenses will also be detectable in the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope 2000 square degree survey, using the LensPop gravitational lensing model. We present predicted distributions in source and deflector redshifts, magnitudes, and magnifications. Although this survey is not primarily designed as a strong lensing detection experiment, it will still provide a large complementary catalog to shallower, wider-area forthcoming lensing discovery projects.

Testing dark energy models with a new sample of strong-lensing systems

ABSTRACT Inspired by a new compilation of strong-lensing systems, which consist of 204 points in the redshift range 0.0625 < zl < 0.958 for the lens and 0.196 < zs < 3.595 for the source, we constrain three models that generate a late cosmic acceleration: the ω-cold dark matter model, the Chevallier–Polarski–Linder, and the Jassal–Bagla–Padmanabhan parametrizations. Our compilation contains only those systems with early-type galaxies acting as lenses, with spectroscopically measured stellar velocity dispersions, estimated Einstein radius, and both the lens and source redshifts. We assume an axially symmetric mass distribution in the lens equation, using a correction to alleviate differences between the measured velocity dispersion (σ) and the dark matter halo velocity dispersion (σDM) as well as other systematic errors that may affect the measurements. We have considered different subsamples to constrain the cosmological parameters of each model. Additionally, we generate a mock data of SLS to asses the impact of the chosen mass profile on the accuracy of Einstein radius estimation. Our results show that cosmological constraints are very sensitive to the selected data: Some cases show convergence problems in the estimation of cosmological parameters (e.g. systems with observed distance ratio Dobs < 0.5), others show high values for the χ2 function (e.g. systems with a lens equation Dobs > 1 or high velocity dispersion σ > 276 km s−1). However, we obtained a fiduciary sample with 143 systems, which improves the constraints on each tested cosmological model.

Quantifying the line-of-sight halo contribution to the dark matter convergence power spectrum from strong gravitational lenses

Galaxy-galaxy strong gravitational lenses have become a popular probe of dark matter (DM) by providing a window into structure formation on the smallest scales. In particular, the convergence power spectrum of subhalos within lensing galaxies has been suggested as a promising observable to study DM. However, the distances involved in strong-lensing systems are vast, and we expect the relevant volume to contain line-of-sight (LOS) halos that are not associated with the main lens. We develop a formalism to calculate the effect of LOS halos as an effective convergence power spectrum. The multi-lens plane equation couples the angular deflections of consecutive lens planes, but by assuming that the perturbations due to the LOS halos are small, we show that they can be projected onto the main-lens plane as effective subhalos. We test our formalism by simulating lensing systems using the full multi-plane lens equation and find excellent agreement. We show how the relative contribution of LOS halos and subhalos depends on the source and lens redshift, as well as the assumed halo and subhalo mass functions. For a fiducial system with fraction of DM halo mass in substructure $f_{\rm sub}=0.4\%$ for subhalo masses $[10^5-10^8]\rm{M}_{\odot}$, the interloper contribution to the power spectrum is at least several times greater than that of subhalos for source redshifts $z_s\gtrsim0.5$. Furthermore, it is likely that for the SLACS and BELLS lenses the interloper contribution dominates: $f_{\rm sub}\gtrsim2\%$ ($4\%$) is needed for subhalos to dominate in SLACS (BELLS), which is higher than current upper bounds on $f_{\rm sub}$ for our mass range. Since the halo mass function is better understood from first principles, the dominance of interlopers in galaxy-galaxy lenses with high-quality imaging can be seen as a significant advantage when translating this observable into a constraint on DM.

Deep learning for strong lensing search: tests of the convolutional neural networks and new candidates from KiDS DR3

ABSTRACT Convolutional neural networks have been successfully applied in searching for strong lensing systems, leading to discoveries of new candidates from large surveys. On the other hand, systematic investigations about their robustness are still lacking. In this paper, we first construct a neutral network, and apply it to r-band images of luminous red galaxies (LRGs) of the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) Data Release 3 to search for strong lensing systems. We build two sets of training samples, one fully from simulations, and the other one using the LRG stamps from KiDS observations as the foreground lens images. With the former training sample, we find 48 high probability candidates after human inspection, and among them, 27 are newly identified. Using the latter training set, about 67 per cent of the aforementioned 48 candidates are also found, and there are 11 more new strong lensing candidates identified. We then carry out tests on the robustness of the network performance with respect to the variation of PSF. With the testing samples constructed using PSF in the range of 0.4–2 times of the median PSF of the training sample, we find that our network performs rather stable, and the degradation is small. We also investigate how the volume of the training set can affect our network performance by varying it from 0.1 to 0.8 million. The output results are rather stable showing that within the considered range, our network performance is not very sensitive to the volume size.

Constraints and cosmography of Lambda CDM in presence of viscosity

In this work, we study two scenarios of the Universe filled by a perfect fluid following the traditional dark energy and a viscous fluid as dark matter. In this sense, we explore the most simple case for the viscosity in the Eckart formalism, a constant, and then, a polynomial function of the redshift. We constrain the phase-space of the model parameters by performing a Bayesian analysis based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo method and using the latest data of the Hubble parameter (OHD), Type Ia Supernovae (SNIa) and Strong Lensing Systems. The first two samples cover the region 0.01<z<2.36. Based on AIC, we find equally support of these viscous models over Lambda-Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) taking into account OHD or SNIa. On the other hand, we reconstruct the cosmographic parameters (q, j, s, l) and find good agreement to LCDM within up to 3sigma CL. Additionally, we find that the cosmographic parameters and the acceleration-deceleration transition are sensible to the parameters related to the viscosity coefficient, making of the viscosity an interesting physical mechanism to modified them.

Cosmology-independent Estimate of the Hubble Constant and Spatial Curvature using Time-delay Lenses and Quasars

Abstract With the distance sum rule in the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric, model-independent constraints on both the Hubble constant H 0 and spatial curvature can be obtained using strong lensing time-delay data and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) luminosity distances. This method is limited by the relatively low redshifts of SNe Ia, however. Here, we propose using quasars as distance indicators, extending the coverage to encompass the redshift range of strong lensing systems. We provide a novel and improved method of determining H 0 and simultaneously. By applying this technique to the time-delay measurements of seven strong lensing systems and the known ultraviolet versus X-ray luminosity correlation of quasars, we constrain the possible values of both H 0 and , and find that km and . The measured is consistent with zero spatial curvature, indicating that there is no significant deviation from a flat universe. If we use flatness as a prior, we infer that km , representing a precision of 2.5%. If we further combine these data with the 1048 current Pantheon SNe Ia, our model-independent constraints can be further improved to km and . In every case, we find that the Hubble constant measured with this technique is strongly consistent with the value (∼74 km ) measured using the local distance ladder, as opposed to the value optimized by Planck.

Testing the cosmic curvature at high redshifts: the combination of LSST strong lensing systems and quasars as new standard candles

ABSTRACT The cosmic curvature, a fundamental parameter for cosmology could hold deep clues to inflation and cosmic origins. We propose an improved model-independent method to constrain the cosmic curvature by combining the constructed Hubble diagram of high-redshift quasars with galactic-scale strong lensing systems expected to be seen by the forthcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope survey. More specifically, the most recent quasar data are used as a new type of standard candles in the range 0.036 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 5.100, whose luminosity distances can be directly derived from the non-linear relation between X-ray and UV luminosities. Compared with other methods, the proposed one involving the quasar data achieves constraints with higher precision (ΔΩk ∼ 10−2) at high redshifts (z ∼ 5.0). We also investigate the influence of lens mass distribution in the framework of three types of lens models extensively used in strong lensing studies (SIS model, power-law spherical model, and extended power-law lens model), finding the strong correlation between the cosmic curvature and the lens model parameters. When the power-law mass density profile is assumed, the most stringent constraint on the cosmic curvature Ωk can be obtained. Therefore, the issue of mass density profile in the early-type galaxies is still a critical one that needs to be investigated further.