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We present JWST/NIRSpec observations of a highly magnified star candidate at a photometric redshift of z phot ≃ 4.8, previously detected in JWST/NIRCam imaging of the strong lensing (SL) cluster MACS J0647+7015 (z  = 0.591). The spectroscopic observation allows us to precisely measure the redshift of the host arc at z spec = 4.758 ± 0.004, and the star's spectrum displays clear Lyman- and Balmer-breaks commensurate with this redshift. A fit to the spectrum suggests a B-type super-giant star of surface temperature |$T_{\mathrm{eff,B}}\simeq 15\, 000$|  K with either a redder F-type companion (⁠|$T_{\mathrm{eff,F}}\simeq 6\, 250$|  K) or significant dust attenuation (AV ≃ 0.82) along the line of sight. We also investigate the possibility that this object is a magnified young globular cluster rather than a single star. We show that the spectrum is in principle consistent with a star cluster, which could also accommodate the lack of flux variability between the two epochs. However, the lack of a counter image and the strong upper limit on the size of the object from lensing symmetry, r ≲ 0.5 pc, could indicate that this scenario is somewhat less likely – albeit not completely ruled out by the current data. The presented spectrum seen at a time when the Universe was only ∼1.2 Gyr old showcases the ability of JWST to study early stars through extreme lensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a transient seen in a strongly lensed arc at redshift z s = 1.2567 in Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the Abell 370 galaxy cluster. The transient is detected at 29.51 ± 0.14 AB mag in a WFC3/UVIS F200LP difference image made using observations from two different epochs, obtained in the framework of the Flashlights programme, and is also visible in the F350LP band (m F350LP ≈ 30.53 ± 0.76 AB mag). The transient is observed on the negative-parity side of the critical curve at a distance of ∼0.6 arcsec from it, greater than previous examples of lensed stars. The large distance from the critical curve yields a significantly smaller macromagnification, but our simulations show that bright, O/B-type supergiants can reach sufficiently high magnifications to be seen at the observed position and magnitude. In addition, the observed transient image is a trailing image with an observer-frame time delay of ∼+0.8 d from its expected counterpart, so that any transient lasting for longer than that should have also been seen on the minima side and is thus excluded. This, together with the blue colour we measure for the transient (m F200LP − m F350LP ≈ [−0.3, −1.6] AB), rules out most other transient candidates such as (kilo)novae, for example, and makes a lensed star the prime candidate. Assuming that the transient is indeed a lensed star as suggested, many more such events should be detected in the near future in cluster surveys with the Hubble Space Telescope and JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unusually large 'dwarf' galaxy Crater II, with its small velocity dispersion, ≃3 km s−1, defies expectations that low-mass galaxies should be small and dense. We combine the latest stellar and velocity dispersion profiles finding Crater II has a prominent dark core of radius |$\simeq 0.71^{+0.09}_{-0.08}$| kpc, surrounded by a low density halo, with a transition visible between the core and the halo. We show that this profile matches the distinctive core-halo profile predicted by 'Wave Dark Matter' as a Bose-Einstein condensate, ψDM, where the ground state soliton core is surrounded by a tenuous halo of interfering waves, with a marked density transition predicted between the core and halo. Similar core-halo structure is seen in most dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs), but with smaller cores, ≃0.25 kpc and higher velocity dispersions, ≃9 km s−1, and we argue here that Crater II may have been a typical dSph that has lost most of its halo mass to tidal stripping, so its velocity dispersion is lower by a factor of 3 and the soliton is wider by a factor of 3, following the inverse scaling required by the Uncertainty Principle. This tidal solution for Crater II in the context of ψDM is supported by its small pericenter of ≃20 kpc established by Gaia , implying significant tidal stripping of Crater II by the Milky Way is expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expected event rate of lensed gravitational wave sources scales with the merger rate at redshift z ≥ 1, where the optical depth for lensing is high. It is commonly assumed that the merger rate of the astrophysical compact objects is closely connected with the star formation rate, which peaks around redshift z ∼ 2. However, a major source of uncertainty is the delay time between the formation and merger of compact objects. We explore the impact of delay time on the lensing event rate. We show that as the delay time increases, the peak of the merger rate of gravitational wave sources gets deferred to a lower redshift. This leads to a reduction in the event rate of the lensed events which are detectable by the gravitational wave detectors. We show that for a delay time of around 10 Gyr or larger, the lensed event rate can be less than one per year for the design sensitivity of LIGO/Virgo. We also estimate the merger rate for lensed sub-threshold for different delay time scenarios, finding that for larger delay times the number of lensed sub-threshold events is reduced, whereas for small-delay time models they are significantly more frequent. This analysis shows for the first time that lensing is a complementary probe to explore different formation channels of binary systems by exploiting the lensing event rate from the well-detected events and sub-threshold events which are measurable using the network of gravitational wave detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dark matter (DM) as a Bose–Einstein condensate, such as the axionic scalar field particles of String Theory, can explain the coldness of DM on large scales. Pioneering simulations in this context predict a rich wave-like structure, with a ground state soliton core in every galaxy surrounded by a halo of excited states that interfere on the de Broglie scale. This de Broglie scale is largest for the low-mass galaxies as momentum is lower, providing a simple explanation for the wide cores of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. Here we extend these 'wave dark matter' (ψDM) predictions to the newly discovered class of 'ultra-diffuse galaxies' (UDG) that resemble dwarf spheroidal galaxies but with more extended stellar profiles. Currently, the best-studied example, 'Dragon Fly 44' (DF44), has a uniform velocity dispersion of ≃33 km s−1, extending to at least 3 kpc, that we show is reproduced by our ψDM simulations with a soliton radius of ≃0.5 kpc. In the ψDM context, we show that relatively flat dispersion profile of DF44 lies between massive galaxies with compact dense solitons, as may be present in the Milky Way on a scale of 100 pc and lower mass galaxies where the velocity dispersion declines centrally within a wide, low-density soliton, like Antlia II, of radius 3 kpc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a detailed analysis of two giant Lyman-alpha (Ly α) arcs detected near galaxies at z  = 3.038 and z  = 3.754 lensed by the massive cluster MACS 1206−0847 (z  = 0.44). The Ly α nebulae revealed in deep MUSE observations exhibit a double-peaked profile with a dominant red peak, indicating expansion/outflowing motions. One of the arcs stretches over 1 arcmin around the cluster Einstein radius, resolving the velocity field of the line-emitting gas on kpc scales around three star-forming galaxies of 0.3– |$1.6\, L_*$| at z  = 3.038. The second arc spans 15 arcsec in size, roughly centred around two low-mass Ly α emitters of |$\approx 0.03\, L_*$| at z  = 3.754. All three galaxies in the z  = 3.038 group exhibit prominent damped Ly α absorption (DLA) and several metal absorption lines, in addition to nebular emission lines such as |$\hbox{He ii}$| |$\lambda \, 1640$| and C  iii ]λλ1906, 1908. Extended Ly α emission appears to emerge from star-forming regions with suppressed surface brightness at the centre of each galaxy. Significant spatial variations in the Ly α line profile are observed which, when unaccounted for in the integrated line, leads to biased constraints for the underlying gas kinematics. The observed spatial variations indicate the presence of a steep velocity gradient in a continuous flow of high column density gas from star-forming regions into a low-density halo environment. A detailed inspection of available galaxy spectra shows no evidence of AGN activity in the galaxies, and the observed Ly α signals are primarily explained by resonant scattering. The study presented in this paper shows that spatially resolved imaging spectroscopy provides the most detailed insights yet into the kinematics of galactic superwinds associated with star-forming galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong lensing of gravitational waves (GWs) is more likely for distant sources but predicted event rates are highly uncertain with many astrophysical origins proposed. Here, we open a new avenue to estimate the event rate of strongly lensed systems by exploring the amplitude of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB). This method can provide a direct upper bound on the high-redshift binary coalescing rates, which can be translated into an upper bound on the expected rate of strongly lensed systems. We show that from the ongoing analysis of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO)-Virgo and in the future from the LIGO–Virgo design sensitivity stringent bounds on the lensing event rate can be imposed using the SGWB signal. Combining measurements of loud GW events with an unresolved stochastic background detection will improve estimates of the numbers of lensed events at high redshift. The proposed method is going to play a crucial in understanding the population of lensed and unlensed systems from GW observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Planck satellite data, we construct Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) gas pressure profiles for a large, volume-complete sample of optically selected clusters. We have defined a sample of over 8000 redMaPPer clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, within the volume-complete redshift region 0.100 <z < 0.325, for which we construct SZ effect maps by stacking Planck data over the full range of richness. Dividing the sample into richness bins we simultaneously solve for the mean cluster mass in each bin together with the corresponding radial pressure profile parameters, employing an Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis. These profiles are well detected over a much wider range of cluster mass and radius than previous work, showing a clear trend towards larger break radius with increasing cluster mass. Our SZ-based masses fall ∼16 per cent below the mass–richness relations from weak lensing, in a similar fashion as the 'hydrostatic bias' related with X-ray derived masses. Finally, we derive a tight Y500–M500 relation over a wide range of cluster mass, with a power-law slope equal to 1.70 ± 0.07, which agrees well with the independent slope obtained by the Planck team with an SZ-selected cluster sample, but extends to lower masses with higher precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a large, redshift-complete sample of distant galaxy clusters by correlating Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 redshifts with clusters identified with the red-sequence Matched-filter Probabilistic Percolation (redMaPPer) algorithm. Our spectroscopic completeness is >97 per cent for ≃7000 clusters within the redMaPPer selection limit, z ≤ 0.325, so that our cluster correlation functions aremuch more precise than earlierwork and not suppressed by uncertain photometric redshifts. We derive an accurate power-law mass-richness relation from the observed abundance with respect to the mass function from Millennium XXL (MXXL) simulations, adjusted to the Planck-weighted cosmology. The number density of clusters is found to decline by 20 per cent over the range 0.1 < z < 0.3, in good agreement with the evolution predicted by MXXL. Our projected 3D correlation function scales with richness, λ, rising from r0 = 14 h-1 Mpc at λ ≃ 25 to r0 = 22 h-1 Mpc at λ ≃ 60, with a gradient that matches MXXL when applying our mass-richness relation, whereas the observed amplitude of the correlation function at (z) = 0.24 exceeds the MXXL prediction by 20 per cent at the ≃2.5σ level. This tension cannot be blamed on spurious, randomly located clusters as this would reduce the correlation amplitude. Full consistency between the correlation function and the abundances is achievable for the pre-Planck values of σ8 = 0.9, Ωm = 0.25 and h = 0.73, matching the improved distance ladder estimate of the Hubble constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive a free-form mass distribution for the massive cluster AS1063 (z = 0.348) using the completed optical imaging from the Hubble Frontier Fields programmme. Based on a subset of 11 multiply lensed systems with spectroscopic redshift, we produce a lens model that is accurate enough to secure new multiply lensed systems, totalling over a 100 arclets, and to estimate their redshifts geometrically. Consistency is found between this precise model and that obtained using only the subset of lensed sources with spectroscopically measured redshifts. Although a relatively large elongation of the mass distribution is apparent relative to the X-ray map, no significant offset is found between the centroid of our mass distribution and that of the X-ray emission map, suggesting a relatively relaxed state for this cluster. For the well-resolved lensed images, we provide detailed model comparisons to illustrate the precision of our model and hence the reliability of our de-lensed sources. A clear linear structure is associated with one such source extending 23 kpc in length, that could be an example of jet-induced star formation, at redshift z ≈ 3.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive cluster MACSJ1149.5+2223(z = 0.544) displays five very large lensed images of a well-resolved spiral galaxy at zspect = 1.491. It is within one of these images that the first example of a multiply lensed supernova (SN) has been detected recently as part of the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space. The depth of this data also reveals many H II regions within the lensed spiral galaxy which we identify between the five counter-images. Here, we expand the capability of our free-form method to incorporate these H II regions locally, with other reliable lensed galaxies added for a global solution. This improved accuracy allows us to estimate when the Refsdal SN will appear within the other lensed images of the spiral galaxy to an accuracy of ~7 per cent. We predict this SN will reappear in one of the counter-images (RA = 11:49:36.025, Dec. = +22:23:48.11, J2000) and on 2015 November 1 (with an estimated error of ±25 d) it will be at the same phase as it was when it was originally discovered, offering a unique opportunity to study the early phases of this SN and to examine the consistency of the mass model and the cosmological model that have an impact on the time delay prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the latest data on the clusterMACSJ0717.5+3745 from the Hubble Frontier Fields campaign. The critically lensed area is the largest known of any lens and very irregular making it a challenge for parametric modelling. Using our free-form method we obtain an accurate solution, identify here many new sets of multiple images, doubling the number of constraints and improving the reconstruction of the dark matter distribution. Our reconstructed mass map shows several distinct central substructures with shallow density profiles, clarifying earlier work and defining well the relation between the dark matter distribution and the luminous and X-ray peaks within the critically lensed region. Using our free-form method, we are able to meaningfully subtract the mass contribution from cluster members to the deflection field to trace the smoothly distributed cluster dark matter distribution. We find four distinct concentrations, three of which are coincident with the luminous matter. The fourth peak has a significant offset from both the closest luminous and X-ray peaks. These findings, together with dynamical data from the motions of galaxies and gas will be important for uncovering the potentially important implications of this extremely massive and intriguing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine a well-resolved lensed image that is bent by an edge-on lenticular galaxy, in the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) data of MACSJ0416.1-20403. The fortuitous combination of a long arc (zs ≈ 1 ± 0.2) intersecting an edge-on galaxy from the cluster (z = 0.4) provides an opportunity to constrain its dark matter (DM) halo and its orientation. We model the stellar lensing contribution and we add to this a standard parametrized dark halo component. Irrespective of the detailed choice of parameters, we obtain a combined total mass of ≈3 x 1011M⊙. Depending on the dark halo parameters, the stellar contribution to this is limited to the range 5-15 x 1010M⊙, or 20-50 per cent of the total mass, in good agreement with the independent (photmetric) stellar mass of 5 x 1010M⊙ (Chabrier IMF), or 8 x 1010M⊙ (Salpeter IMF). The major axis of the DM halo is constrained to be nearly orthogonal to the plane of the galaxy, and with an ellipticity e ≈ 0.15 corresponding to an axis ratio a/c = 0.54. We show that these conclusions are very weakly dependent on the model of the cluster, or the additional influence of neighbouring galaxies or the properties of the lensed source. Alternative theories of gravity that do not require DM are challenged by this finding since generically these must be tied to the baryonic component which is highly disfavoured by our results. Other such fortuitously useful lenses can be examined this way as they become uncovered with more HFF data to help provide a more statistical distribution of galaxy halo properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clean measurement of the evolution of the galaxy cluster mass function can significantly improve our understanding of cosmology from the rapid growth of cluster masses below z < 0.5. Here, we examine the consistency of cluster catalogues selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey by applying two independent gravity-based methods using all available spectroscopic redshifts from the DR10 release. First, we detect a gravitational redshift related signal for 20,119 and 13,128 clusters with spectroscopic redshifts contained in the Gaussian Mixture Brightest Cluster Galaxy (GMBCG) and red-sequence Matched-filter Probabilistic Percolation (redMaPPer) catalogues, respectively, at a level of ~-10 km s-1. This we show is consistent with the magnitude expected using the richness-mass relations provided by the literature and after applying recently clarified relativistic and flux bias corrections. This signal is also consistent with the richest clusters in the larger catalogue of Wen et al., corresponding to M200m ≳ 2 × 1014 M⊙ h-1; however, we find no significant detection of a gravitational redshift signal for lower richness clusters, which may be related to bulk motions from substructure and spurious cluster detections. Secondly, we find all three catalogues generate mass-dependent levels of lensing magnification bias, which enhances the mean redshift of flux-selected background galaxies from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey survey. The magnitude of this lensing effect is generally consistent with the corresponding richness-mass relations advocated for the surveys. We conclude that all catalogues comprise a high proportion of reliable clusters, and that the GMBCG and redMaPPer cluster finder algorithms favour more relaxed clusters with a meaningful gravitational redshift signal, as anticipated by the red-sequence colour selection of the GMBCG and redMaPPer samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a free-form mass reconstruction of the massive lensing cluster MACS J0416.1−2403 using the latest Hubble Frontier Fields data. Our free-form method finds that the extended lensing pattern is generated by two elongated, closely projected clusters of similar mass. Our lens model identifies new lensed images with which we improve the accuracy of the dark matter distribution. We find that the bimodal mass distribution is nearly coincident with the bimodal X-ray emission, but with the two dark matter peaks lying closer together than the centroids of the X-ray emission. We can reproduce this behaviour with our hydrodynamical model, concluding that the clusters are significantly deflected around each other with the plane of the collision lying close to the line of sight. The projected mass profiles of both subclusters are well constrained in the region 30–165 kpc because of the many interior lensed images, leading to surprisingly flat mass profiles of both components at distances 30–100 kpc from the centre, in agreement with recent simulations of self-interacting dark matter. Using N-body simulations, we discuss the extent to which this may be generated by projection effects in our model as the cores grazeeach other. The relative velocity between the two cores is estimated to be about 1200 km s−1 and mostly along the line of sight so that our simulation is consistent with the relative redshift difference between the two cD galaxies (δz ≈ 0.04). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Small galaxies consisting entirely of Population III (pop III) stars may form at high redshifts, and could constitute one of the best probes of such stars. Here, we explore the prospects of detecting gravitationally lensed pop III galaxies behind the galaxy cluster J0717.5+3745 (J0717) with both the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST). By projecting simulated catalogues of pop III galaxies at z ≈ 7-15 through the J0717 magnification maps, we estimate the lensed number counts as a function of flux detection threshold. We find that the ongoing HST survey Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble ( CLASH), targeting a total of 25 galaxy clusters including J0717, potentially could detect a small number of pop III galaxies if ∼1 per cent of the baryons in these systems have been converted into pop III stars. Using JWST exposures of J0717, this limit can be pushed to ∼0.1 per cent of the baryons. Ultradeep JWST observations of unlensed fields are predicted to do somewhat worse, but will be able to probe pop III galaxies with luminosities intermediate between those detectable in HST/CLASH and in JWST observations of J0717. We also explain how current measurements of the galaxy luminosity function at z = 7-10 can be used to constrain pop III galaxy models with very high star formation efficiencies (∼10 per cent of the baryons converted into pop III stars). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We characterize the typical offset between the dark matter (DM) projected centre and the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in 10 000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey clusters. To place constraints on the centre of DM, we use an automated strong lensing (SL) analysis, mass-modelling technique which is based on the well-tested assumption that light traces mass. The cluster galaxies are modelled with a steep power law, and the DM component is obtained by smoothing the galaxy distribution fitting a low-order two-dimensional polynomial (via spline interpolation), while probing a whole range of polynomial degrees and galaxy power laws. We find that the offsets between the BCG and the peak of the smoothed light map representing the DM, Δ, are distributed equally around zero with no preferred direction, and are well described by a log-normal distribution with [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present results from strong lens modelling of 10 000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) clusters, to establish the universal distribution of Einstein radii. Detailed lensing analyses have shown that the inner mass distribution of clusters can be accurately modelled by assuming light traces mass, successfully uncovering large numbers of multiple images. Approximate critical curves and the effective Einstein radius of each cluster can therefore be readily calculated, from the distribution of member galaxies and scaled by their luminosities. We use a subsample of 10 well-studied clusters covered by both SDSS and Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) to calibrate and test this method, and show that an accurate determination of the Einstein radius and mass can be achieved by this approach 'blindly', in an automated way, and without requiring multiple images as input. We present the results of the first 10 000 clusters analysed in the range 0.1 < z < 0.55 and compare them to theoretical expectations. We find that for this all-sky representative sample the Einstein radius distribution is lognormal in shape, with , , and with higher abundance of large θe clusters than predicted by Λ cold dark matter. We visually inspect each of the clusters with ( zs= 2) and find that ∼20 per cent are boosted by various projection effects detailed here, remaining with ∼40 real giant-lens candidates, with a maximum of ( zs= 2) for the most massive candidate, in agreement with semi-analytic calculations. The results of this work should be verified further when an extended calibration sample is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We show the effectiveness of strong lensing in the characterization of Lyman continuum emission from faint L≲ 0.1 L* star-forming galaxies at redshift ≳3. Past observations of L≳ L* galaxies at redshift ≳3 have provided upper limits of the average escape fraction of ionizing radiation of fesc∼ 5 per cent. Galaxies with relatively high fesc (>10 per cent) seem to be particularly rare at these luminosities; there is therefore the need to explore fainter limits. Before the advent of giant ground-based telescopes, one viable way to probe fesc down to 0.05-0.15 L* was to exploit strong lensing magnification. This is investigated with Monte Carlo simulations that take into account the current observational capabilities. Adopting a lensing cross-section of 10 arcmin2 within which the magnification is higher than 1 (achievable with about four to five galaxy clusters), with a U-band survey depth of 30 (30.5) ( AB, 1σ), it is possible to constrain fesc for z≃ 3 star-forming galaxies down to 15 (10) per cent at 3σ for L < 0.15 L* luminosities. This is particularly interesting if fesc increases at fainter luminosities, as predicted from various H i reionization scenarios and radiation transfer modelling. Ongoing observational programmes on galaxy clusters are discussed and positive prospects for the future are offered, even though from space the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST)/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) instrument represents the only option we have to investigate details of the spatial distribution of the Lyman continuum emission arising from z∼ 2-4 galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Clusters of galaxies are uniquely important cosmological probes of the evolution of the large-scale structure, whose diagnostic power depends quite significantly on the ability to reliably determine their masses. Clusters are typically modelled as spherical systems whose intracluster gas is in strict hydrostatic equilibrium (i.e. the equilibrium gas pressure is provided entirely by thermal pressure), with the gravitational field dominated by dark matter, assumptions that are only rough approximations. In fact, numerical simulations indicate that galaxy clusters are typically triaxial, rather than spherical, and that turbulent gas motions (induced during hierarchical merger events) provide an appreciable pressure component. Extending our previous work, we present results of a joint analysis of X-ray, weak- and strong-lensing measurements of Abell 1689. The quality of the data allows us to determine both the triaxial shape of the cluster and the level of non-thermal pressure that is required if the intracluster gas is in hydrostatic equilibrium. We find that the dark matter axial ratios are 1.24 ± 0.13 and 2.02 ± 0.01 on the plane of the sky and along the line of sight, respectively, and that about 20 per cent of the pressure is non-thermal. Our treatment demonstrates that the dynamical properties of clusters can be determined in a (mostly) bias-free way, enhancing the use of clusters as more precise cosmological probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amplitude of weak lensing should increase with source distance, rising steeply behind a lens and saturating at high redshift, providing a model-independent means of measuring cosmic geometry. We measure the amplitude of weak lensing with redshift for three massive clusters, A370 (), ZwCl0024+17 () and RXJ134711 (), using deep, three-colour Subaru imaging. We define the depth of lensed populations with reference to the COSMOS and GOODS fields, providing a consistency check of photo- z estimates over a wide range of redshift and magnitude. The predicted distance-redshift relation is followed well for the deepest data set, A370, for a wide range of cosmologies, and is consistent with less accurate data for the other two clusters. Scaling this result to a new survey of massive clusters should provide a useful cosmological constraint on , complementing existing techniques, with distance measurements covering the untested redshift range, . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a strong-lensing analysis of the galaxy cluster MS 1358.4+6245 (), in deep six-band HST/ACS imaging. In addition to the well-studied system at , our modelling method uncovers 19 new multiply lensed images belonging to seven background sources, so that a total of 23 images and their redshifts are used to accurately constrain the inner mass distribution. We derive a relatively shallow inner mass profile, ( kpc), with a much higher magnification than estimated previously by models constrained only by the system. Using these many new images we can apply a non-parametric adaptive-grid method, which also yields a shallow mass profile without prior assumptions, strengthening our conclusions. The total magnification of the galaxy is high, about a times over its four images, so that the inferred source size, luminosity and star formation rate are about times smaller than previous estimates, corresponding to a dwarf-sized galaxy of radius kpc. A detailed image of the interior morphology of the source is generated with a high effective resolution of only 50 pc, thanks to the high magnification and to the declining angular diameter distance above for the standard cosmology, so that this image apparently represents the best resolved object known at high redshift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We present the results of a strong-lensing analysis of a complete sample of 12 very luminous X-ray clusters at z > 0.5 using HST/ACS images. Our modelling technique has uncovered some of the largest known critical curves outlined by many accurately predicted sets of multiple images. The distribution of Einstein radii has a median value of ≃ 28 arcsec (for a source redshift of zs∼ 2), twice as large as other lower z samples, and extends to 55 arcsec for MACS J0717.5 +3745, with an impressive enclosed Einstein mass of 7.4 × 1014 M⊙. We find that nine clusters cover a very large area ( > 2.5 arcmin 2) of high magnification ( μ > 10×) for a source redshift of zs∼ 8, providing primary targets for accessing the first stars and galaxies. We compare our results with theoretical predictions of the standard Λ cold dark matter ( ΛCDM) model which we show systematically fall short of our measured Einstein radii by a factor of ≃ 1.4, after accounting for the effect of lensing projection. Nevertheless, a revised analysis, once arc redshifts become available, and similar analyses of larger samples, is needed in order to establish more precisely the level of discrepancy with ΛCDM predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inner mass profile of the relaxed cluster Abell 1703 is analysed by two very different strong-lensing techniques applied to the deep Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Channel 3 imaging. Our parametric method has the accuracy required to reproduce many sets of multiple images, based on the assumption that mass approximately traces light. We test this assumption with a fully non-parametric, adaptive grid method, with no knowledge of the galaxy distribution. Differences between the methods are seen on fine scales due to member galaxies which must be included in models designed to search for lensed images, but on the larger scale the general distribution of dark matter is in good agreement, with very similar radial mass profiles. We add undiluted weak-lensing measurements from deep multicolour Subaru imaging to obtain a fully model-independent mass profile out to the virial radius and beyond. Consistency is found in the region of overlap between the weak and strong lensing, and the full mass profile is well described by a Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) model of a concentration parameter, (and ). Abell 1703 lies above the standard c- M relation predicted for the standard Λ cold dark matter model, similar to other massive relaxed clusters with accurately determined lensing-based profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak lensing work can be badly compromised by unlensed foreground and cluster members which dilute the true lensing signal. We show how the lensing amplitude in multicolour space can be harnessed to securely separate cluster members from the foreground and background populations for three massive clusters, A1703 ( z= 0.258), A370 ( z= 0.375) and RXJ1347−11 ( z= 0.451) imaged with Subaru. The luminosity functions of these clusters when corrected for dilution show similar faint-end slopes, α≃− 1.0, with no marked faint-end upturn to our limit of MR≃− 15.0, and only a mild radial gradient. In each case, the radial profile of the mass-to-light ratio ( M/ L) peaks at intermediate radius, ≃ 0.2 rvir, at a level of 300–500( M/ LR)⊙, and then falls steadily towards ∼ 100( M/ LR)⊙ at the virial radius, similar to the mean field level. This behaviour is likely due to the relative paucity of central late-type galaxies, whereas for the E/S0 sequence only a mild radial decline in M/ L is found for each cluster. We discuss this behaviour in the context of detailed simulations where predictions for tidal stripping may now be tested accurately with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an improved strong-lensing analysis of Cl0024+1654 using deep Hubble Space Telescope ( HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/NIC3 images, based on 33 multiply-lensed images of 11 background galaxies. These are found with a model that assumes mass approximately traces light, with a low-order expansion to allow for flexibility on large scales. The model is constrained initially by the well-known five-image system and refined as new multiply-lensed systems are identified using the model. Photometric redshifts of these new systems are then used to constrain better the mass profile by adopting the standard cosmological relation between redshift and lensing distance. Our model requires only six free parameters to describe well all positional and redshift data. The resulting inner mass profile has a slope of , consistent with new weak-lensing measurements where the data overlap, at . The combined profile is well fitted by a high-concentration Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) mass profile, , similar to other well-studied clusters, but larger than predicted with standard Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM). A well-defined radial critical curve is generated by the model and is clearly observed at arcsec, outlined by elongated images pointing towards the centre of mass. The relative fluxes of the multiply-lensed images are found to agree well with the modelled magnifications, providing an independent consistency check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Einstein radius of a cluster provides a relatively model-independent measure of the mass density of a cluster within a projected radius of ∼150 kpc, large enough to be relatively unaffected by gas physics. We show that the observed Einstein radii of four well-studied massive clusters, for which reliable virial masses are measured, lie well beyond the predicted distribution of Einstein radii in the standard Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model. Based on large samples of numerically simulated cluster-sized objects with virial masses , the predicted Einstein radii are only 15–25 arcsec, a factor of 2 below the observed Einstein radii of these four clusters. This is because the predicted mass profile is too shallow to exceed the critical surface density for lensing at a sizable projected radius. After carefully accounting for measurement errors as well as the biases inherent in the selection of clusters and the projection of mass measured by lensing, we find that the theoretical predictions are excluded at a 4σ significance. Since most of the free parameters of the ΛCDM model now rest on firm empirical ground, this discrepancy may point to an additional mechanism that promotes the collapse of clusters at an earlier time thereby enhancing their central mass density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carry out a comprehensive joint analysis of high-quality HST/ACS and Chandra measurements of A1689, from which we derive mass, temperature, X-ray emission and abundance profiles. The X-ray emission is smooth and symmetric, and the lensing mass is centrally concentrated indicating a relaxed cluster. Assuming hydrostatic equilibrium we deduce a 3D mass profile that agrees simultaneously with both the lensing and X-ray measurements. However, the projected temperature profile predicted with this 3D mass profile exceeds the observed temperature by ∼30 per cent at all radii, a level of discrepancy comparable to the level found for other relaxed clusters. This result may support recent suggestions from hydrodynamical simulations that denser, more X-ray luminous small-scale structure can bias observed temperature measurements downward at about the same (∼30 per cent) level. We determine the gas entropy at (where rvir is the virial radius) to be ∼800 keV cm2, as expected for a high-temperature cluster, but its profile at has a power-law form with index ∼0.8, considerably shallower than the ∼1.1 index advocated by theoretical studies and simulations. Moreover, if a constant entropy ‘floor’ exists at all, then it is within a small region in the inner core, , in accord with previous theoretical studies of massive clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the feasibility of detecting the gravitational deflection of light emitted by stars moving around the massive object at the Galactic centre. Light reaching us from an orbiting star can pass closer to the large central mass than the star itself, so the central potential is in principle constrained to a smaller radius by lensing rather than by orbit fitting. A mass ofcauses adeflection in the apparent position of orbiting stars in a cone of diameteras seen from the central mass. The distance to the centre of the Galaxy is uniquely constrained from such measurements because lensing deflections depend on the ratioof the Schwarzschild radius to the distance to the black hole,R0, whereas the ratiois obtained by fitting the shapes of the orbits. Deflection measurements are complimentary to observations of radial velocities of stars which constrain the ratioin the framework of Newtonian gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]