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By the end of the next decade, we hope to have detected strongly lensed gravitational waves by galaxies or clusters. Although there exist optimal methods for identifying lensed signal, it is shown that machine learning (ML) algorithms can give comparable performance but are orders of magnitude faster than non-ML methods. We present the SLICK pipeline which comprises a parallel network based on deep learning. We analyse the Q-transform maps (QT maps) and the Sine-Gaussian projection (SGP) maps generated for the binary black hole signals injected in Gaussian as well as real noise. We compare our network performance with the previous work and find that the efficiency of our model is higher by a factor of 5 at a false positive rate of 0.001. Further, we show that including SGP maps with QT maps data result in a better performance than analysing QT maps alone. When combined with sky localization constraints, we hope to get unprecedented accuracy in the predictions than previously possible. We also evaluate our model on the real events detected by the LIGO–Virgo collaboration and find that, at a threshold of 0.75 our network correctly classifies all of them, consistent with non-detection of lensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lens system catalogues are typically used to constrain a combination of cosmological and empirical power-law lens mass model parameters, often introducing additional empirical parameters and constraints from high resolution imagery. We investigate these lens models using Bayesian methods through a novel alternative that treats spatial curvature via the non-FLRW timescape cosmology. We apply Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods using the catalogue of 161 lens systems of Chen et al. in order to constrain both lens and cosmological parameters for: (i) the standard |$\Lambda$| CDM model with zero spatial curvature; and (ii) the timescape model. We then generate large mock data sets to further investigate the choice of cosmology on fitting simple power-law lens models. In agreement with previous results, we find that in combination with single isothermal sphere parameters, models with zero FLRW spatial curvature fit better as the free parameter approaches an unphysical empty universe, |$\Omega _{\mathrm{M}0}\rightarrow 0$|⁠. By contrast, the timescape cosmology is found to prefer parameter values in which its cosmological parameter, the present void fraction, is driven to |$f_{\mathrm{v}0}\rightarrow 0.73$| and closely matches values that best fit independent cosmological data sets: supernovae Ia distances and the cosmic microwave background. This conclusion holds for a large range of seed values |$f_{\mathrm{v}0}\in \lbrace 0.1,0.9\rbrace$|⁠ , and for timescape fits to both timescape and FLRW mocks. Regardless of cosmology, unphysical estimates of the distance ratios given from power-law lens models result in poor goodness of fit. With larger data sets soon available, separation of cosmology and lens models must be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongly gravitationally lensed supernovae (LSNe) are promising probes for providing absolute distance measurements using gravitational-lens time delays. Spatially unresolved LSNe offer an opportunity to enhance the sample size for precision cosmology. We predict that there will be approximately three times as many unresolved as resolved LSNe Ia in the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the Rubin Observatory. In this article, we explore the feasibility of detecting unresolved LSNe Ia from a pool of preclassified SNe Ia light curves using the shape of the blended light curves with deep-learning techniques. We find that ∼30% unresolved LSNe Ia can be detected with a simple 1D convolutional neural network (CNN) using well-sampled rizy-band light curves (with a false-positive rate of ∼3%). Even when the light curve is well observed in only a single band among r, i, and z, detection is still possible with false-positive rates ranging from ∼4 to 7% depending on the band. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these unresolved cases can be detected at an early stage using light curves up to ∼20 days from the first observation with well-controlled false-positive rates, providing ample opportunity to trigger follow-up observations. Additionally, we demonstrate the feasibility of time-delay estimations using solely LSST-like data of unresolved light curves, particularly for doubles, when excluding systems with low time delays and magnification ratios. However, the abundance of such systems among those unresolved in LSST poses a significant challenge. This approach holds potential utility for upcoming wide-field surveys, and overall results could significantly improve with enhanced cadence and depth in the future surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Square Kilometre Array mid-frequency array will enable high-redshift detections of neutral hydrogen (H i) emission in galaxies, providing important constraints on the evolution of cold gas in galaxies over cosmic time. Strong gravitational lensing will push back the H i emission frontier towards cosmic noon (⁠|$z\sim 2$|⁠), as has been done for all prominent spectral lines in the interstellar medium of galaxies. Chakraborty & Roy report a |$z=1.3$| H i emission detection towards the well-modelled, galaxy-scale gravitational lens, SDSS J0826+5630. We carry out H i source modelling of the system and find that their claimed H i magnification, |$\mu _{\rm H\, {\small I}} = 29 \pm 6$|⁠ , requires an H i disc radius of |$\lesssim\!\! 1.5$| kpc, which implies an implausible mean H i surface mass density in excess of |$\Sigma _{\rm H\, {\small I}} > 2000 \ \rm{ M}_\odot \, \rm{pc}^{-2}$|⁠. This is several orders of magnitude above the highest measured peak values (⁠|$\Sigma _{\rm H\, {\small I}} \sim 10~{\rm M}_\odot \, {\rm pc}^{-2}$|⁠), above which H i is converted into molecular hydrogen. Our re-analysis requires this to be the highest H i mass galaxy known (⁠|$M_{\rm H\, {\small I}} \sim 10^{11} \ \mathrm{ M}_\odot$|⁠), as well as strongly lensed, the latter having a typical probability of the order of 1 in 103–104. We conclude that the claimed detection is spurious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wave packets propagating in inhomogeneous media experience a coupling between internal and external degrees of freedom and, as a consequence, follow spin-dependent trajectories. These phenomena, well known in optics and condensed matter physics, are referred to as spin Hall effects. Similarly, the gravitational spin Hall effect is expected to affect the propagation of gravitational waves on curved spacetimes. In this general-relativistic setup, the curvature of spacetime acts as impurities in a semiconductor or inhomogeneities in an optical medium, leading to a frequency- and polarization-dependent propagation of wave packets. In this letter, we study this effect for strong-field lensed gravitational waves generated in hierarchical triple black hole systems in which a stellar-mass binary merges near a more massive black hole. We calculate how the gravitational spin Hall effect modifies the gravitational waveforms and show its potential for experimental observation. If detected, these effects will have profound implications for astrophysics and tests of general relativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of extremely low frequency primordial gravitational wave with arbitrary direction of propagation on a gravitational lens system in expanding universe is investigated. From the point of view of real astrophysical lens model, singular isothermal sphere lens model is adopted in the gravitational lens system. The results show that, under the perturbation from extremely low frequency primordial gravitational wave, time delay in the gravitational lens system is very sensitive to extremely low frequency primordial gravitational wave and could strongly deviate from that deduced from theoretical model. This means that the strongly deviated time delay could be the imprint of extremely low frequency primordial gravitational wave on gravitational lens system, indicating that gravitational lens system could be used as a long baseline detector to detect extremely low frequency primordial gravitational wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the Kirchhoff–Fresnel diffraction integral is essential in studying wave effects in astrophysical lensing, but is often intractable because of the highly oscillatory integrand. A recent breakthrough was made by exploiting the Picard–Lefschetz theory: the integral can be performed along the 'Lefschetz thimbles' in the complex domain where the integrand is not oscillatory but rapidly converging. The application of this method, however, has been limited by both the unfamiliar concepts involved and the low numerical efficiency of the method used to find the Lefschetz thimbles. In this paper, we give simple examples of the Lefschetz thimbles and define the 'flow lines' that facilitate the understanding of the concepts. Based on this, we propose new ways to obtain the Lefschetz thimbles with high numerical efficiency, which provide an effective tool for studying wave effects in astrophysical lensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that convolution neural networks (CNNs) trained to find strong gravitational lens systems are biased towards systems with larger Einstein radii and large concentrated sources. This selection function is key to fully realizing the potential of the large samples of strong gravitational lens systems that will be found in upcoming wide-field surveys. In this paper, we use a CNN and three training data sets to quantify the network selection function and its implication for the many scientific applications of strong gravitational lensing. We use CNNs with similar architecture as is commonly found in the literature. The networks preferentially select systems with larger Einstein radii and larger sources with more concentrated source-light distributions. Increasing the detection significance threshold to 12 |$\sigma$| from 8 |$\sigma$| results in 50 per cent of the selected strong lens systems having Einstein radii |$\theta _\mathrm{E}$| |$\ge$| 1.04 arcsec from |$\theta _\mathrm{E}$| |$\ge$| 0.879 arcsec, source radii |$R_S$| |$\ge$| 0.194 arcsec from |$R_S$| |$\ge$| 0.178 arcsec, and source Sérsic indices |$n_{\mathrm{Sc}}^{\mathrm{S}}$| |$\ge$| 2.62 from |$n_{\mathrm{Sc}}^{\mathrm{S}}$| |$\ge$| 2.55. The model trained to find lensed quasars shows a stronger preference for higher lens ellipticities than those trained to find lensed galaxies. The selection function is independent of the slope of the power law of the mass profiles, hence measurements of this quantity will be unaffected. The lens finder selection function reinforces that of the lensing cross-section, and thus we expect our findings to be a general result for all galaxy–galaxy and galaxy–quasar lens finding neural networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitationally lensed supernovae (glSNe) are of interest for time delay cosmology and SN physics. However, glSNe detections are rare, owing to the intrinsic rarity of SN explosions, the necessity of alignment with a foreground lens, and the relatively short window of detectability. We present the Las Cumbres Observatory Lensed Supernova Search, LCOLSS, a targeted survey designed for detecting glSNe in known strong lensing systems. Using cadenced |$r^\prime$| -band imaging, LCOLSS targeted 114 galaxy–galaxy lensing systems with high expected SN rates, based on estimated star formation rates. No plausible glSN was detected by LCOLSS during our two year observing program. We carry out an analysis here to measure a detection efficiency for these observations. We then perform Monte Carlo simulations using the predicted supernova rates to determine the expected number of glSN detections. The results of the simulation suggest an expected number of detections and 68 per cent Poisson confidence intervals, |$N_{\mathrm{ SN}} = 0.20, [0,2.1]$|⁠ , |$N_{\mathrm{ Ia}} = 0.08, [0,2.0]$|⁠ , |$N_{\mathrm{ CC}} = 0.12, [0,2.0]$|⁠ , for all SNe, Type Ia SNe, and core-collapse (CC) SNe, respectively. These results are broadly consistent with the absence of a detection in our survey. Analysis of the survey strategy can provide insights for future efforts to develop targeted glSN discovery programs, especially considering the large anticipated yields of upcoming surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a combined strong and weak gravitational-lensing analysis of the massive galaxy cluster MACS J1423.8+2404 (⁠|$z=0.545$|⁠ , MACS J1423 hereafter), one of the most dynamically relaxed and massive cool-core clusters discovered in the MAssive Cluster Survey at |$z\gt 0.5$|⁠. We combine high-resolution imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the F 606 W, F 814 W , and F 160 W pass-bands with spectroscopic observations taken as part of the KALEIDOSCOPE survey with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer mounted on the Very Large Telescope. Our strong lensing analysis of the mass distribution in the cluster core is constrained by four multiple-image systems (17 individual images) within redshift range |$1.779\lt z\lt 2.840$|⁠. Our weak lensing analysis of the cluster outskirts, confined to the HST field of view, is based on a background galaxy catalogue with a density of 57 gal arcmin |$^{-2}$|⁠. We measure a projected mass of |$M(R\lt 200$|  kpc) = (1.6 |$\pm$| 0.05) |$\times$| 10 |$^{14}$|  M |$_{\rm \odot }$| from our strong lensing model, and a projected mass of |$M(R\lt 640$|  kpc) = (6.6 |$\pm$| 0.6) |$\times$| 10 |$^{14}$|  M |$_{\rm \odot }$| when combining with our the weak lensing constraints. Our analysis of the cluster mass distribution yields no evidence of substructures, confirming the dynamically relaxed state of MACS J1423. Our work sets the stage for future analysis of MACS J1423 in the upcoming Canadian Near-Infrared Imager and Stiltless Spectrograph Unbiased Cluster Survey for the JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational lensing may render individual high-mass stars detectable out to cosmological distances, and several extremely magnified stars have in recent years been detected out to redshifts |$z\approx 6$|⁠. Here, we present Muspelheim, a model for the evolving spectral energy distributions of both metal-enriched and metal-free stars at high redshifts. Using this model, we argue that lensed stars will form a highly biased sample of the intrinsic distribution of stars across the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, and that this bias will typically tend to favour the detection of lensed stars in evolved stages characterized by low effective temperatures, even though stars only spend a minor fraction of their lifetimes in such states. We also explore the prospects of detecting individual, lensed metal-free (Population III) stars at high redshifts using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We find that very massive (⁠|$\gtrsim 100\ \mathrm{M}_\odot$|⁠) Population III stars at |$z\gtrsim 6$| may potentially be detected by JWST in surveys covering large numbers of strong-lensing clusters, provided that the Population III stellar initial mass function is sufficiently top-heavy, that these stars evolve to effective temperatures |$\le 15000$| K, and that the cosmic star formation rate density of Pop III stars reaches |$\gtrsim 10^{-4}\ \mathrm{M}_\odot$| cMpc |$^{-3}$| yr |$^{-1}$| at |$z\approx 6$| –10. Various ways to distinguish metal-free lensed stars from metal-enriched ones are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lensing observations can provide extremely valuable information on the structure of galaxies, but their interpretation is made difficult by selection effects, which, if not accounted for, introduce a bias between the properties of strong lens galaxies and those of the general population. A rigorous treatment of the strong lensing bias requires, in principle, to fully forward model the lens selection process. However, doing so for existing lens surveys is prohibitively difficult. With this work we propose a practical solution to the problem: using an empirical model to capture the most complex aspects of the lens finding process, and constraining it directly from the data together with the properties of the lens population. We applied this method to real data from the SLACS sample of strong lenses. Assuming a power-law density profile, we recovered the mass distribution of the parent population of galaxies from which the SLACS lenses were drawn. We found that early-type galaxies with a stellar mass of log M*/M⊙ = 11.3 and average size have a median projected mass enclosed within a 5 kpc aperture of log M5/M⊙ = 11.332 ± 0.013, and an average logarithmic density slope of γ = 1.99 ± 0.03. These values are respectively 0.02 dex and 0.1 lower than inferred when ignoring selection effects. According to our model, most of the bias is due to the prioritisation of SLACS follow-up observations based on the measured velocity dispersion. As a result, the strong lensing bias in γ reduces to ∼0.01 when controlling for stellar velocity dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the highest-resolution images to date of caustics formed by wave dark matter (ψDM) fluctuations near the critical curves of cluster gravitational lenses. We describe the basic magnification features of ψDM in the source plane at high macromodel magnification and discuss specific differences between the ψDM and standard cold dark matter (CDM) models. The unique generation of demagnified counterimages (with respect to the magnification from the smooth macromodel) formed outside the Einstein radius for ψDM is highlighted. Substructure in CDM cannot generate demagnified images with positive parity and thus does not provide a definitive way to distinguish ψDM from CDM. Highly magnified background sources with sizes r ≈ 1 pc, or approximately a factor of ten smaller than the expected de Broglie wavelength of ψDM, offer the best possibility for discriminating between ψDM and CDM. These include objects such as very compact stellar clusters at high redshift, which JWST is finding in abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistics of Einstein radii for a sample of strong lenses can provide valuable constraints on the underlying mass distribution. The correct interpretation, however, relies critically on the modelling of the selection of the sample, which has proven to be a limiting factor. This may change thanks to upcoming uniform high-resolution imaging surveys that cover a large fraction of the sky because they can provide complete lens samples with well-understood selection criteria. To explore how the observed distribution of Einstein radii depends on the galaxy properties, we simulated a realistic complete sample of strong lenses, predicting a number density of lenses of about 2.5 deg−2 for a Euclid-like setup. Such data can break the degeneracy between the stellar initial mass function and the inner slope of the density profile of dark matter, without having to rely on additional information from stellar dynamics. We find that a survey covering only 50 deg2 can already provide tight constraints: assuming that the cosmology is known, the dark matter slope is recovered with an uncertainty of 3.5%, while the uncertainty in the ratio between the true stellar mass and that inferred from stellar population modelling is 10%. These findings highlight the potential of this method when applied to samples of lenses with well-understood selection functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Gravity.jl, a new proprietary software for the modeling of gravitational lens systems. Gravity.jl is written in the Julia programming language, and is designed to be fast, accurate, and flexible. It can be used to model gravitational lens systems composed of multiple lensing planes, and to perform Bayesian inference on the lens model parameters. In this paper we present the theoretical and statistical ideas behind the code, and we describe its main features. In this first paper of the series, we focus on the modeling of point-like and small extended sources, for which we can linearize the lens equation. We show a practical use of Gravity.jl on a galaxy-scale lens, and we compare the results with those obtained with other codes. We also show how Gravity.jl can be used to perform Bayesian inference on cosmological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep imaging of galaxy cluster fields have in recent years revealed tens of candidates for gravitationally lensed stars at redshifts z ≈ 1 − 6, and future searches are expected to reveal highly magnified stars from even earlier epochs. Multi-band photometric observations may be used to constrain the redshift, effective temperature Teff, and dust attenuation along the line of sight to such objects. When combined with an estimate of the likely magnification, these quantities may be converted into a constraint on the stellar luminosity and, for an adopted set of stellar evolutionary tracks, the initial stellar mass. Further characterisation is difficult, however, without spectroscopic observations, which at the typical brightness levels of high-redshift lensed stars becomes extremely challenging for even the largest existing telescopes. Here, we explore what spectral features one can realistically hope to detect in lensed stars with peak brightness in the range 26–28 AB mag, Teff = 4000 − 50 000 K, and redshifts z = 1 − 10, using spectroscopy with JWST and the forthcoming ELT. We find that a majority of detectable lines appear in the rest-UV range for stars with Teff ≥ 15 000 K. The strongest detectable spectral lines are the C IVλ1550 Å line and the Si IVλλ1393, 1403 Å-doublet at Teff = 30 000 K. For lower temperatures, the calcium H- and K-lines at Teff = 6000 K are among the most readily detectable. In limited wavelength ranges, ELT is expected to provide more sensitive spectroscopic observations, and with higher resolution than JWST. We find that variations in both mass-loss rate and metallicity lead to noticeable effects in the detectability of certain spectral lines with both JWST and ELT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The analysis of gravitational lensing by galaxies and galaxy clusters typically relies on ellipsoidal lens models to describe the deflection of light by the involved dark-matter halos. These models are most often based on the isothermal density profile – not an optimal description of the halo, but easy to use because it leads to an analytic deflection-angle formula. Aims. Dark-matter halos are better described by the Navarro–Frenk–White (hereafter NFW) density profile. We set out to study lensing by a general triaxial ellipsoidal NFW halo, with the aim of providing an analytic model that would be more consistent with the current understanding of dark-matter halos. Methods. We computed the conversion between the properties of a triaxial ellipsoidal lens model and its elliptical surface-density profile. In the case of the NFW lens model, its angular scale is defined by the projected scale semi-major axis of the halo, while its lensing regime depends on two parameters: the projected eccentricity e and the convergence parameter κs. We employed the Bourassa & Kantowski formalism to compute the complex scattering function of the model, which yields the deflection-angle components when separated into its real and imaginary parts. Results. We present the obtained closed-form expressions for the deflection-angle components, valid for an arbitrary eccentricity of the surface-density profile. We use them to compute and describe the lensing properties of the model, including: the shear, its components, and the phase; the critical curves, caustics, and the parameter-space mapping of their different geometries; the deformations and orientations of images. Conclusions. The analytically solved ellipsoidal NFW lens model is available for implementation in gravitational lensing software. The techniques introduced here such as the image-plane analysis can prove to be useful for understanding the properties of other lens models as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a mass measurement for the secondary lens along the line of sight (LoS) from the multi-plane strong lens modeling of the group-scale lens CASSOWARY 31 (CSWA 31). The secondary lens at redshift z = 1.49 is a spiral galaxy well aligned along the LoS with the main lens at z = 0.683. Using the MUSE integral-field spectroscopy of this spiral galaxy, we measured its rotation velocities and determined the mass from the gas kinematics. We compared the mass estimation of the secondary lens from the lensing models to the mass measurement from kinematics, finding that the predictions from strong lensing tend to be higher. By introducing an additional lens plane at z = 1.36 for an overdensity known to be present, we find a mass of ≃1010 M⊙ enclosed within 3.3 kpc of the centroid of the spiral galaxy, which approaches the estimate from kinematics. This shows that secondary-lens mass measurements from multiple-plane modeling are affected by systematic uncertainties from the degeneracies between lens planes and the complex LoS structure. Conducting a detailed analysis of the LoS structures is therefore essential to improve the mass measurement of the secondary lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are multi-messenger transients in which a star is tidally destroyed by a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxies. The Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is anticipated to detect hundreds to thousands of TDEs annually, such that the first gravitationally lensed TDE may be observed in the coming years. Using Monte-Carlo simulations, we quantify the rate of both unlensed and lensed TDEs as a function of limiting magnitudes in four different optical bands (u, g, r, and i) for a range of TDE temperatures that match observations. Dependent on the temperature and luminosity model, we find that g and r bands are the most promising bands with unlensed TDE detections that can be as high as ∼104 annually. By populating a cosmic volume with realistic distributions of TDEs and galaxies that can act as gravitational lenses, we estimate that a few lensed TDEs (depending on the TDE luminosity model) can be detected annually in g or r bands in the LSST survey, with TDE redshifts in the range of ∼0.5 to ∼2. The ratio of lensed to unlensed detections indicates that we may detect ∼1 lensed event for every 104 unlensed events, which is independent of the luminosity model. The number of lensed TDEs decreases as a function of the image separations and time delays, and most of the lensed TDE systems are expected to have image separations below ∼3″ and time delays within ∼30 days. At fainter limiting magnitudes, the i band becomes notably more successful. These results suggest that strongly lensed TDEs are likely to be observed within the coming years and such detections will enable us to study the demographics of black holes at higher redshifts through the lensing magnifications. Our simulated catalogs of lensed TDEs are publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new lens model for the ɀ = 0.396 galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1 –2403 based on a previously known set of 77 spectroscop-ically confirmed, multiply imaged galaxies plus an additional set of 42 candidate multiply imaged galaxies from past HST and new JWST data. The new galaxies lack spectroscopic redshifts but have geometric and/or photometric redshift estimates that are presented here. The new model predicts magnifications and time delays for all multiple images. The full set of constraints totals 343, constituting the largest sample of multiple images lensed by a single cluster to date. Caustic-crossing galaxies lensed by this cluster are especially interesting. Some of these galaxies show transient events, most of which are interpreted as micro-lensing of stars at cosmological distances. These caustic-crossing arcs are expected to show similar events in future, deeper JWST observations. We provide time delay and magnification models for all these arcs. The time delays and the magnifications for different arcs are generally anti-correlated. In the major sub-halos of the cluster, the dark-matter mass from our lens model correlates well with the observed number of globular clusters, as expected from N-body simulations. This confirms earlier results, derived at lower redshifts, which suggest that globular clusters can be used as powerful mass proxies for the halo masses when lensing constraints are scarce or not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MACS J0600.1-2008 (MACS0600) is an X-ray-luminous, massive galaxy cluster at |$z_{\mathrm{d}}=0.43$|⁠ , studied previously by the REionization LensIng Cluster Survey and ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey projects which revealed a complex, bimodal mass distribution and an intriguing high-redshift object behind it. Here, we report on the results of a combined analysis of the extended strong lensing (SL), X-ray, Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ), and galaxy luminosity-density properties of this system. Using new JWST and ground-based Gemini-N and Keck data, we obtain 13 new spectroscopic redshifts of multiply-imaged galaxies and identify 12 new photometric multiple-image systems and candidates, including two multiply-imaged |$z\sim 7$| objects. Taking advantage of the larger areal coverage, our analysis reveals an additional bimodal, massive SL structure which we measure spectroscopically to lie adjacent to the cluster and whose existence was implied by previous SL-modelling analyses. While based in part on photometric systems identified in ground-based imaging requiring further verification, our extended SL model suggests that the cluster may have the second-largest critical area and effective Einstein radius observed to date, |$A_{\mathrm{crit}}\simeq 2.16\, \mathrm{arcmin}^2$| and |$\theta _{\mathrm{E}}=49.7^{\prime \prime }\pm 5.0^{\prime \prime }$| for a source at |$z_{\mathrm{s}}=2$|⁠ , enclosing a total mass of |$M(\lt \theta _{\mathrm{E}})=(4.7\pm 0.7)\times 10^{14}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$|⁠. These results are also supported by the galaxy luminosity distribution, and the SZ and X-ray data. Yet another, probably related massive cluster structure, discovered in X-rays 5 arcmin (1.7 Mpc) further north, suggests that MACS0600 is part of an even larger filamentary structure. This discovery adds to several recent detections of massive structures around SL galaxy clusters and establishes MACS0600 as a prime target for future high-redshift surveys with JWST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of upcoming large-scale surveys like Euclid, the necessity for the automation of strong lens detection is essential. While existing machine learning pipelines heavily rely on the classification probability (P), this study intends to address the importance of integrating additional metrics, such as Information Content (IC) and the number of pixels above the segmentation threshold (⁠|$\rm {\mathit{n}_{s}}$|⁠), to alleviate the false positive rate in unbalanced data-sets. In this work, we introduce a segmentation algorithm (U-Net) as a supplementary step in the established strong gravitational lens identification pipeline (Denselens), which primarily utilizes |$\rm {\mathit{P}_{mean}}$| and |$\rm {IC_{mean}}$| parameters for the detection and ranking. The results demonstrate that the inclusion of segmentation enables significant reduction of false positives by approximately 25 per cent in the final sample extracted from DenseLens, without compromising the identification of strong lenses. The main objective of this study is to automate the strong lens detection process by integrating these three metrics. To achieve this, a decision tree-based selection process is introduced, applied to the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS) data. This process involves rank-ordering based on classification scores (⁠|$\rm {\mathit{P}_{mean}}$|⁠), filtering based on Information Content (⁠|$\rm {IC_{mean}}$|⁠), and segmentation score (⁠|$\rm {n_{s}}$|⁠). Additionally, the study presents 14 newly discovered strong lensing candidates identified by the U-Denselens network using the KiDS DR4 data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galaxy–galaxy strong gravitational lensing (GGSL) is a powerful probe for the formation and evolution of galaxies and cosmology, while the sample size of GGSLs leads to considerable uncertainties and potential bias. The China Space Station Telescope (CSST, to be launched in late 2026) will conduct observations across 17 500 square degrees of the sky, capturing images in the |$ugriz$| bands with a spatial resolution comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. We ran a set of Monte Carlo simulations to predict that the CSST's wide-field survey will observe |$\sim$| 160 000 galaxy–galaxy strong lenses over its lifespan, increasing the number of existing galaxy–galaxy strong lens samples by three orders of magnitude. This is comparable to the capabilities of the |$\it Euclid$| telescope but with the added benefit of additional colour information. Specifically, the CSST can detect strong lenses with Einstein radii about |$0.64\pm 0.42 ^{\prime \prime }$|⁠ , corresponding to the velocity dispersions of |$217.19 \pm 50.55 \, \text{km/s}$|⁠. These lenses exhibit a median magnification of |$\sim$| 5. The apparent magnitude of the unlensed sources in the g band is |$25.87 \pm 1.19$|⁠. The signal-to-noise ratio of the lensed images covers a range of |${\sim} 20$| to |${\sim} 1000$|⁠ , allowing us to determine the Einstein radius with an accuracy ranging from |${\sim} 1~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| to |${\sim} 0.1~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠ , ignoring various modelling systematics. Our estimates indicate that CSST can observe rare systems like double source-plane and spiral galaxy lenses. The above selection functions of the CSST strong lensing observation help optimize the strategy of finding and modelling GGSLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lensing provides a purely gravitational means to infer properties of dark matter haloes and thereby constrain the particle nature of dark matter. Strong lenses sometimes appear as four lensed images of a background quasar accompanied by spatially resolved emission from the quasar host galaxy encircling the main deflector (lensed arcs). We present methodology to simultaneously reconstruct lensed arcs and relative image magnifications (flux ratios) in the presence of full populations of subhaloes and line-of-sight haloes. To this end, we develop a new approach for multiplane ray tracing that accelerates lens mass and source light reconstruction by factors of |$\sim\!\! 100\!\!-\!\!1000$|⁠. Using simulated data, we show that simultaneous reconstruction of lensed arcs and flux ratios isolates small-scale perturbations to flux ratios by dark matter substructure from uncertainties associated with the main deflector mass profile on larger angular scales. Relative to analyses that use only image positions and flux ratios to constrain the lens model, incorporating arcs strengthens likelihood ratios penalizing warm dark matter with a suppression scale |$m_{\rm {hm}} / {\rm M}_{\odot }$| in the ranges of |$\left[10^7 \!\!-\!\! 10^{7.5}\right]$|⁠ , |$\left[10^{7.5} \!\!-\!\! 10^{8}\right]$|⁠ , |$\left[10^8 \!\!-\!\! 10^{8.5}\right]$|⁠ , and |$\left[10^{8.5} \!\!-\!\! 10^{9}\right]$| by factors of 1.3, 2.5, 5.6, and 13.1, respectively, for a cold dark matter ground truth. The 95 per cent exclusion limit improves by 0.5 dex in |$\log _{10} m_{\rm {hm}}$|⁠. The enhanced sensitivity to low-mass haloes enabled by these methods pushes the observational frontier of substructure lensing to the threshold of galaxy formation, enabling stringent tests of any theory that alters the properties of dark matter haloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hubble constant (⁠|$H_0$|⁠), a crucial parameter in cosmology, quantifies the expansion rate of the universe so its precise measurement is important to understand the fundamental dynamics of our evolving universe. One of the major limitations of measuring |$H_0$| using time-delay cosmography is the presence of the mass-sheet degeneracy (MSD) in the lens mass modelling. We propose and quantitatively assess the use of galaxy–galaxy shear measurements to break the MSD in the strong lensing mass modelling. We use stacked galaxy–galaxy lensing profiles and corresponding covariance matrices from Huang et al. to constrain the MSD in lens mass modelling with a highly flexible mass profile. Our analyses show that if ideally all galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements from the Hyper Suprime-Cam survey can be used to constrain the MSD, we can achieve |$\sim 10~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| precision on the MSD constraint. We forecast that galaxy–galaxy lensing measurements from Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)-like surveys can in general constrain the MSD with |$\sim 1\,\mathrm{ per\,cent}-3~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| precision. Furthermore, if we push weak lensing measurements to a lower angular scale of |$\sim 0.04\,\rm Mpc$|⁠ , a survey like LSST can provide |$\sim 1~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| precision on the MSD constraint, enabling a measurement of |$H_0$| at the 1 per cent level. We demonstrate that galaxy–galaxy weak lensing can robustly constrain the MSD independent of stellar kinematics of the deflector, with wide-field survey data alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient algorithms are being developed to search for strong gravitational lens systems owing to increasing large imaging surveys. Neural networks have been successfully used to discover galaxy-scale lens systems in imaging surveys such as the Kilo Degree Survey, Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC) Survey, and Dark Energy Survey over the last few years. Thus, it has become imperative to understand how some of these networks compare, their strengths and the role of the training data sets which are essential in supervised learning algorithms used commonly in neural networks. In this work, we present the first-of-its-kind systematic comparison and benchmarking of networks from four teams that have analysed the HSC Survey data. Each team has designed their training samples and developed neural networks independently but coordinated a priori in reserving specific data sets strictly for test purposes. The test sample consists of mock lenses, real (candidate) lenses, and real non-lenses gathered from various sources to benchmark and characterize the performance of each of the network. While each team's network performed much better on their own constructed test samples compared to those from others, all networks performed comparable on the test sample with real (candidate) lenses and non-lenses. We also investigate the impact of swapping the training samples among the teams while retaining the same network architecture. We find that this resulted in improved performance for some networks. These results have direct implications on measures to be taken for lens searches with upcoming imaging surveys such as the Rubin-Legacy Survey of Space and Time, Roman, and Euclid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational lensing is the phenomenon where the presence of matter (called a lens) bends the path of light-like trajectories travelling nearby. Similar to the geometric optics limit of electromagnetic waves, gravitational lensing of gravitational waves (GWs) can occur in geometric optics condition when GW wavelength is much smaller than the Schwarzschild radius of the lens, that is, |$\lambda _{\mathrm{ GW}} \ll$| R |$^{\rm s}_{\rm lens}$|⁠. This is known as the strong lensing regime for which a multiple-image system with different magnifications and phase shifts is formed. We developed GLANCE , Gravitational Lensing Authenticator using Non-modelled Cross-correlation Exploration, a novel technique to detect strongly lensed GW signals. We demonstrate that cross-correlation between two noisy reconstruction of polarized GW signals shows a non-zero value when the signals are lensed counterparts. The relative strength between the signal cross-correlation and noise cross-correlation can quantify the significance of the event(s) being lensed. Since lensing biases the inference of source parameters, primarily the luminosity distance, a joint parameter estimation of the source and lens-induced parameters is incorporated using a Bayesian framework. We applied GLANCE to synthetic strong lensing data and showed that it can detect lensed GW signals and correctly constrain the injected source and lens parameters, even when one of the signals is below match-filtered threshold signal-to-noise ratio. This demonstrates GLANCE 's capability as a robust detection technique for strongly lensed GW signals and can distinguish between lensed and unlensed events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies microlensing effects in strongly lensed gravitational wave (GW) signals corresponding to global minima images in galaxy-scale lenses. We find that stellar microlenses alone are unable to introduce noticeable wave effects in the global minima GW signals at strong lensing magnification |$({\mu})\lt 50$| with match value between unlensed and lensed GW signals being above |${\sim }99.5~{{\ \rm per \, cent}}$| in |${\sim }90~{{\ \rm per \, cent}}$| of systems implying that GW signals corresponding to global minima can be treated as reference signal to determine the amount of microlensing in other strongly lensed counterparts. Since the stellar microlenses introduce negligible wave effects in global minima, they can be used to probe the intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) lenses in the galaxy lens. We show that the presence of an IMBH lens with mass in the range |$[50,10^3]~{\rm M_\odot }$| such that the global minima lies within five Einstein radius of it, the microlensing effects at |$f\lt 10^2$| Hz are mainly determined by the IMBH lens for |${\mu} \lt 50$|⁠. Assuming that a typical strong lensing magnification of 3.8 and high enough signal-to-noise ratio (in the range |${\simeq }[10, 30]$|⁠) to detect the microlensing effect in GW signals corresponding to global minima, with non-detection of IMBH-led microlensing effects in |${\simeq }15~({\simeq }150)$| lensed GW signals, we can rule out dark matter fraction |$\gt 10~{{\ \rm per \, cent}}~(\gt 1~{{\ \rm per \, cent}})$| made of IMBH population inside galaxy lenses with mass values |$\gt 150~{\rm M_\odot }$| with |${\sim }$| 90 per cent confidence. Although we have specifically used IMBHs as an example, the same analysis applies to any subhalo (or compact objects) with lensing masses (i.e. the total mass inside Einstein radius) satisfying the above criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold gas evolution ties the formation of dark matter haloes to the star formation history of the universe. A primary component of cold gas, neutral atomic hydrogen (HI), can be traced by its 21-cm emission line. However, the faintness of this emission typically limits individual detections to low redshifts (⁠|$z\lesssim 0.2$|⁠). To address this limitation, we investigate the potential of targeting gravitationally lensed systems. Building on our prior galaxy–galaxy simulations, we have developed a ray-tracing code to simulate lensed HI images for known galaxies situated behind the massive hubble frontier field galaxy clusters. Our findings reveal the existence of high HI mass, high HI magnification systems in these cluster-lensing scenarios. Through simulations of hundreds of sources, we have identified compelling targets within the redshift range |$z\approx 0.7 - 1.5$|⁠. The most promising candidate from our simulations is the Great Arc at z = 0.725 in Abell 370, which should be detectable by MeerKAT in approximately 50 h. Importantly, the derived HI mass is predicted to be relatively insensitive to systematic uncertainties in the lensing model, and should be constrained within a factor of |${\sim }2.5$| for a 95 per cent confidence interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of strong lensing galaxies is a subset of intermediate-redshift massive galaxies, whose population-level properties are not yet well understood. In the near future, thousands of multiply imaged systems are expected to be discovered by wide-field surveys like Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time and Euclid. With the soon-to-be robust population of quadruply lensed quasars, or quads, in mind, we introduce a novel technique to elucidate the empirical distribution of the galaxy population properties. Our re-imagining of the prevailing strong lensing analysis does not fit mass models to individual lenses, but instead starts with parametric models of many galaxy populations, which include generally ignored mass distribution complexities and exclude external shear for now. We construct many mock galaxy populations with different properties and obtain populations of quads from each of them. The mock 'observed' population of quads is then compared to those from the mocks using a model-free analysis based on a three-dimensional subspace of directly observable quad image properties. The distance between two quad populations in the space of image properties is measured by a metric |$\eta$|⁠ , and the distance between their parent galaxy populations in the space of galaxy properties is measured by |$\zeta$|⁠. We find a well-defined relation between |$\eta$| and |$\zeta$|⁠. The discovered relation between the space of image properties and the space of galaxy properties allows for the observed galaxy population properties to be estimated from the properties of their quads, which will be conducted in a future paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photometric wide-area observations in the next decade will be capable of detecting a large number of galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses, increasing the gravitational lens sample size by orders of magnitude. To aid in forecasting and analysis of these surveys, we construct a flexible model based on observed distributions for the lens and source properties and test it on the results of past lens searches, including SL2S, SuGOHI, and searches on the COSMOS HST and DES fields. We use this model to estimate the expected yields of some current and planned surveys, including Euclid Wide, Vera Rubin LSST, and Roman High Latitude Wide Area. The model proposed includes a set of free parameters to constrain on the identifiability of a lens in an image, allowing construction of prior probability distributions for different lens detection methods. The code used in this work is made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lensing can be used as a tool for constraining the substructure in the mass distribution of galaxies. In this study we investigate the power spectrum of dark matter perturbations in a population of 23 Hubble Space Telescope images of strong galaxy–galaxy lenses selected from The Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) survey. We model the dark matter substructure as a Gaussian random field perturbation on a smooth lens mass potential, characterized by power-law statistics. We expand upon the previously developed machine learning framework to predict the power-law statistics by using a convolutional neural network (CNN) that accounts for both epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties. For the training sets, we use the smooth lens mass potentials and reconstructed source galaxies that have been previously modelled through traditional fits of analytical and shapelet profiles as a starting point. We train three CNNs with different training set: the first using standard data augmentation on the best-fitting reconstructed sources, the second using different reconstructed sources spaced throughout the posterior distribution, and the third using a combination of the two data sets. We apply the trained CNNs to the SLACS data and find agreement in their predictions. Our results suggest a significant substructure perturbation favouring a high frequency power spectrum across our lens population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a strong gravitational lensing system, the distorted light from a source is analysed to infer the properties of the lens. However, light emitted by the lens itself can contaminate the image of the source, introducing systematic errors in the analysis. We present a simple and efficient lens light model based on the well-tested multi-Gaussian expansion (MGE) method for representing galaxy surface brightness profiles, which we combine with a semi-linear inversion scheme for pixelized source modelling. Testing it against realistic mock lensing images, we show that our scheme can fit the lensed images to the noise level, with relative differences between the true input and best-fitting lens light model remaining below 5 per cent. We apply the MGE lens light model to 38 lenses from the HST SLACS sample. We find that the new scheme provides a good fit for the majority of the sample with only 3 exceptions – these show clear asymmetric residuals in the lens light. We examine the radial dependence of the ellipticity and position angles and confirm that it is common for a typical lens galaxy to exhibit twisting non-elliptical isophotes and boxy / disky isophotes. Our MGE lens light model will be a valuable tool for understanding the hidden complexity of the lens mass distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dark matter structures within strong gravitational lens galaxies and along their lines of sight leave a gravitational imprint on the multiple images of lensed sources. Strong gravitational lensing provides, therefore, a key test of different dark matter models. In this article, we describe how galaxy-scale strong gravitational lensing observations are sensitive to the physical nature of dark matter. We provide an historical perspective of the field, and review its current status. We discuss the challenges and advances in terms of data, treatment of systematic errors and theoretical predictions, that will enable one to deliver a stringent and robust test of different dark matter models in the next decade. With the advent of the next generation of sky surveys, the number of known strong gravitational lens systems is expected to increase by several orders of magnitude. Coupled with high-resolution follow-up observations, these data will provide a key opportunity to constrain the properties of dark matter with strong gravitational lensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We provide an in-depth analysis of the COSMOS-Web ring, an Einstein ring at z ≈ 2 that we serendipitously discovered during the data reduction of the COSMOS-Web survey and that could be the most distant lens discovered to date. Methods. We extracted the visible and near-infrared photometry of the source and the lens from more than 25 bands. We combined these observations with far-infrared detections to study the dusty nature of the source and we derived the photometric redshifts and physical properties of both the lens and the source with three different spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting codes. Using JWST/NIRCam images, we also produced two lens models to (i) recover the total mass of the lens, (ii) derive the magnification of the system, (iii) reconstruct the morphology of the lensed source, and (iv) measure the slope of the total mass density profile of the lens. Results. We find the lens to be a very massive elliptical galaxy at z = 2.02 ± 0.02 with a total mass within the Einstein radius of Mtot(<θEin = (3.66 ± 0.36) × 1011M⊙ and a total stellar mass of M⋆ = 1.37−0.11+0.14 × 1011 M⊙. We also estimate it to be compact and quiescent with a specific star formation rate below 10−13 yr. Compared to stellar-to-halo mass relations from the literature, we find that the total mass of the lens within the Einstein radius is consistent with the presence of a dark matter (DM) halo of total mass Mh = 1.09−0.57+1.46 × 1013 M⊙. In addition, the background source is a M⋆ = (1.26 ± 0.17) × 1010M⊙ star-forming galaxy (SFR ≈ (78 ± 15) M⊙ yr) at z = 5.48 ± 0.06. The morphology reconstructed in the source plane shows two clear components with different colors. Dust attenuation values from SED fitting and nearby detections in the far infrared also suggest that the background source could be at least partially dust-obscured. Conclusions. We find the lens at z ≈ 2. Its total, stellar, and DM halo masses are consistent within the Einstein ring, so we do not need any unexpected changes in our description of the lens such as changing its initial mass function or including a non-negligible gas contribution. The most likely solution for the lensed source is at z ≈ 5.5. Its reconstructed morphology is complex and highly wavelength dependent, possibly because it is a merger or a main sequence galaxy with a heterogeneous dust distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microlensing of stars in strongly lensed galaxies can lead to temporary extreme magnification factors (μ> 1000), enabling their detection at high redshifts. Following the discovery of Icarus, several stars at cosmological distances (z > 1) have been observed using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This emerging field of gravitational lensing holds promise to study individual high redshift stars. It also offers the opportunity to study the substructure in the lens plane with implications for dark matter models, as more lensed stars are detected and analysed statistically. Due to the computational demands of simulating microlensing at large magnification factors, it is important to develop fast and accurate analytical approximations for the probability of magnification in such extreme scenarios. In this study, we consider different macro-model magnification and microlensing surface mass density scenarios and study how the probability of extreme magnification factors depends on these factors. To achieve this, we created state-of-the-art large simulations of the microlensing effect in these scenarios. Through the analysis of these simulations, we derived analytical scaling relationships that can bypass the need for expensive numerical simulations. Our results are useful to interpret current observations of stars at cosmic distances which are extremely magnified and under the influence of microlenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When radio photons propagate through a non-uniform electron density volume, the plasma lensing effect can induce an extreme magnification to the observed flux at certain frequencies. Because the plasma lens acts as a diverging lens, it can extremely suppress the observed flux when aligned with the source. These two properties can theoretically cause a highly magnified fast radio burst (FRB) to become faint or even disappear for a period of time. In this paper, we interpret that the significant increase in burst counts followed by a sudden quenching in FRB 20201124A in September 2021 can be attributed to plasma lensing. Based on the one-dimensional Gaussian lens model, we search for double main-peak structures in the spectra just before its extinction on 2021 September 29. After the de-dispersion and de-scintillation procedures, we find eight bursts with double main-peaks at stable positions. There are three parameters in our modelling, the height N 0, width a of the lens and its distance D LS to the source. We reformulate them as a combined parameter |${P}_0 \propto \left(\frac{a}{\mathrm{au}}\right)\sqrt{\frac{\mathrm{kpc}}{D_{\mathrm{LS}}} \frac{\mathrm{pc}\mathrm{cm}^{-3}}{N_0} }$|⁠. The frequency spectra can give an accurate estimation of P 0 corresponding to |$\left(\frac{a}{\mathrm{au}}\right)\sqrt{\frac{\mathrm{kpc}}{D_{\mathrm{LS}}} \frac{\mathrm{pc}\mathrm{cm}^{-3}}{N_0} } \approx 28.118$|⁠ , while the time of arrival only give a relatively loose constraint on a 2/ D LS. Comparing with the observation dynamic spectra, we suggest that for a plasma lens in host galaxy, e.g. D LS ≈ 1 kpc, the width of lens can not be larger than 40 au. At last, we estimate the relative transverse motion velocity between the lens and source, |$v\approx 98\left(\frac{a}{\mathrm{au}}\right)\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standardizable nature of gravitationally lensed Type Ia supernovae (glSNe Ia) makes them an attractive target for time-delay cosmography, since a source with known luminosity breaks the mass sheet degeneracy. It is known that microlensing by stars in the lensing galaxy can add significant stochastic uncertainty to the unlensed luminosity, which is often much larger than the intrinsic scatter of the Type Ia population. In this work, we show how the temporal microlensing variations as the supernova (SN) disc expands can be used to improve the standardization of glSNe Ia. We find that SNe are standardizable if they do not cross caustics as they expand. We estimate that this will be the case for ≈6 doubly imaged systems and ≈0.3 quadruply imaged systems per year from the Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST). At the end of the 10 yr LSST survey, these systems should enable us to test for systematics in H 0 due to the mass sheet degeneracy at the |$1.00^{+0.07}_{-0.06}$| per cent level, or 1.8 ± 0.2 per cent if we can only extract time delays from the third of systems with counter-images brighter than i  = 24 mag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of mass in galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses is often modelled as an elliptical power-law plus 'external shear', which notionally accounts for neighbouring galaxies and cosmic shear along our line of sight. A small amount of external shear could come from these sources, but we show that the vast majority does not. Except in a handful of rare systems, the best-fitting values do not correlate with independent measurements of line-of-sight shear: from weak lensing in 45 Hubble Space Telescope images, or in 50 mock images of lenses with complex distributions of mass. Instead, the best-fit external shear is aligned with the major or minor axis of 88 per cent of lens galaxies; and the amplitude of the external shear increases if that galaxy is discy. We conclude that 'external shear' attached to a power-law model is not physically meaningful, but a fudge to compensate for lack of model complexity. Since it biases other model parameters that are interpreted as physically meaningful in several science analyses (e.g. measuring galaxy evolution, dark matter physics or cosmological parameters), we recommend that future studies of galaxy-scale strong lensing should employ more flexible mass models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongly lensed supernovae are rare and valuable probes of cosmology and astrophysics. Upcoming wide-field time-domain surveys, such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), are expected to discover an order-of-magnitude more lensed supernovae than have previously been observed. In this work, we investigate the cosmological prospects of lensed type Ia supernovae (SNIa) in LSST by quantifying the expected annual number of detections, the impact of stellar microlensing, follow-up feasibility, and how to best separate lensed and unlensed SNIa. We simulate SNIa lensed by galaxies, using the current LSST baseline v3.0 cadence, and find an expected number of 44 lensed SNIa detections per year. Microlensing effects by stars in the lensing galaxy are predicted to lower the lensed SNIa detections by ∼8 per cent. The lensed events can be separated from the unlensed ones by jointly considering their colours and peak magnitudes. We define a 'gold sample' of ∼10 lensed SNIa per year with time delay >10 d, >5 detections before light curve peak, and sufficiently bright (mi < 22.5 mag) for follow-up observations. In 3 yr of LSST operations, such a sample is expected to yield a 1.5 per cent measurement of the Hubble constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flux ratios of strongly lensed quasars have previously been used to infer the properties of dark matter. In these analyses, it is crucial to separate the effect of the main lensing galaxy and the low-mass dark matter halo population. In this work, we investigate flux-ratio perturbations resulting from general third- and fourth-order multipole perturbations to the main lensing galaxy's mass profile. We simulate four lens systems, each with a different lensing configuration, without multipoles. The simulated flux ratios are perturbed by 10–40 per cent by a population of low-mass haloes consistent with cold dark matter and, in one case, also a satellite galaxy. This level of perturbation is comparable to the magnitude of flux-ratio anomalies in real data that has been previously analysed. We then attempt to fit the simulated systems using multipoles instead of low-mass haloes. We find that multipoles with amplitudes of 0.01 or less can produce flux-ratio perturbations in excess of 40 per cent. In all cases, third- or fourth-order multipoles can individually reduce the magnitude of, if not eliminate, flux-ratio anomalies. When both multipole orders are jointly included, all simulated flux ratios can be fit to within the observational uncertainty. Our results indicate that low-mass haloes and multipoles are highly degenerate when modelling quadruply imaged quasars based just on image positions and flux ratios. In the presence of this degeneracy, flux-ratio anomalies in lensed quasars alone cannot be used to place strong constraints on the properties of dark matter without additional information that can inform our priors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past year, JWST has uncovered galaxies at record-breaking distances up to z ∼ 13. The JWST UNCOVER (ultra-deep NIRSpec and NIRcam observations before the epoch of reionization) program has obtained ultra-deep multiwavelength NIRCam imaging of the massive galaxy cluster A2744 over ∼45 arcmin2 down to ∼29.5 AB mag. Here, we present a robust ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function derived through lensing clusters at 9 < z < 12. Using comprehensive end-to-end simulations, we account for all lensing effects and systematic uncertainties in deriving both the amplification factors and the effective survey volume. Our results confirm the intriguing excess of UV-bright galaxies (M UV <−20 AB mag) previously reported at z > 9 in recent JWST studies. In particular, a double power-law (DPL) describes better the bright end of the luminosity function compared to the classical Schechter form. The number density of these bright galaxies is 10–100 times larger than theoretical predictions and previous findings based on Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. Additionally, we measure a star formation rate density of ρSFR = 10−2.64 M⊙ yr−1 Mpc−3 at these redshifts, which is 4–10 times higher than galaxy formation models that assume a constant star formation efficiency. Future wide-area surveys and accurate modelling of lensing-assisted observations will reliably constrain both the bright and the dim end of the UV luminosity function at z > 9, which will provide key benchmarks for galaxy formation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lensing is a powerful probe of the distribution of matter on sub-kpc scales. It can be used to test the existence of completely dark sub-haloes surrounding galaxies, as predicted by the standard cold dark matter model, or to test alternative dark matter models. The constraining power of the method depends strongly on photometric and astrometric precision and accuracy. We simulate and quantify the capabilities of upcoming adaptive optics systems and advanced instruments on ground-based telescopes, focusing as an illustration on the Keck Telescope (OSIRIS + KAPA, LIGER + KAPA) and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT; IRIS + NFIRAOS). We show that these new systems will achieve dramatic improvements over current ones in both photometric and astrometric precision. Narrow line flux ratio errors below 2 per cent, and submilliarcsecond astrometric precision will be attainable for typical quadruply imaged quasars. With TMT, the exposure times required will be of order a few minutes per system, enabling the follow-up of 100–1000 systems expected to be discovered by the Rubin, Euclid, and Roman Telescopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the impact of microlensing on gravitational wave (GW) signals in the LIGO−Virgo sensitivity band. Microlensing caused by an isolated point lens, with (redshifted) mass ranging from M Lz ∈ (1,  105) M⊙ and impact parameter y ∈ (0.01,  5), can result in a maximum mismatch of |$\sim 30~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| with their unlensed counterparts. When y < 1, it strongly anticorrelates with the luminosity distance enhancing the detection horizon and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Biases in inferred source parameters are assessed, with in-plane spin components being the most affected intrinsic parameters. The luminosity distance is often underestimated, while sky-localization and trigger times are mostly well-recovered. Study of a population of microlensed signals due to an isolated point lens primarily reveals: (i) using unlensed templates during the search causes fractional loss (20 per cent to 30 per cent) of potentially identifiable microlensed signals; (ii) the observed distribution of y challenges the notion of its high improbability at low values (y ≲ 1), especially for y ≲ 0.1; (iii) Bayes factor analysis of the population indicates that certain region in M Lz − y parameter space have a higher probability of being detected and accurately identified as microlensed. Notably, the microlens parameters for the most compelling candidate identified in previous microlensing searches, GW200208_130117, fall within a 1σ range of the aforementioned higher probability region. Identifying microlensing signatures from M Lz < 100 M⊙ remains challenging due to small microlensing effects at typical SNR values. Additionally, we also examined how microlensing from a population of microlenses influences the detection of strong lensing signatures in pairs of GW events, particularly in the posterior-overlap analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of gravitational arcs systems detected is increasing quickly and should even increase at a faster rate in the near future. This wealth of new gravitational arcs requires the development of a purely automated method to reconstruct the lens and source. A general reconstruction method based on the singular perturbative approach is proposed in this paper. This method generates a lens and source reconstruction directly from the gravitational arc image. The method is fully automated and works in two steps. The first step is to generate a guess solution based on the circular solution in the singular perturbative approach. The second step is to break the sign degeneracy and to refine the solution by using a general source model. The refinement of the solution is conducted step-by-step to avoid the source-lens degeneracy issue. One important asset of this automated method is that the lens solution is written in universal terms which allows the computation of statistics. Considering the large number of lenses which should be available in the near future this ability to compute unbiased statistics is an important asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster-scale strong lensing is a powerful tool for exploring the properties of dark matter and constraining cosmological models. However, due to the complex parameter space, pixelized strong lens modelling in galaxy clusters is computationally expensive, leading to the point-source approximation of strongly lensed extended images, potentially introducing systematic biases. Herein, as the first paper of the ClUsteR strong Lens modelIng for the Next-Generation observations (CURLING) program, we use lensing ray-tracing simulations to quantify the biases and uncertainties arising from the point-like image approximation for JWST -like observations. Our results indicate that the approximation works well for reconstructing the total cluster mass distribution, but can bias the magnification measurements near critical curves and the constraints on the cosmological parameters, the total matter density of the universe Ωm, and dark energy equation of state parameter w. To mitigate the biases, we propose incorporating the extended surface brightness distribution of lensed sources into the modelling. This approach reduces the bias in magnification from 46.2 per cent to 0.09 per cent for μ ∼ 1000. Furthermore, the median values of cosmological parameters align more closely with the fiducial model. In addition to the improved accuracy, we also demonstrate that the constraining power can be substantially enhanced. In conclusion, it is necessary to model cluster-scale strong lenses with pixelized multiple images, especially for estimating the intrinsic luminosity of highly magnified sources and accurate cosmography in the era of high-precision observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a |$\rm {[CII]}_{158\mu \rm {m}}$| search using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) on three lensed, confirmed Ly α emitting galaxies at z ∼ 7. Our targets are ultraviolet (UV) faint systems with stellar masses on the order of M * ∼ 109 M⊙. We detect a single [C  ii ] line emission (4σ) from the brightest (L ∼ 2.4 × 1010 L ⊙) galaxy in our sample, MACS0454-1251. We determine a systemic redshift (z [C  ii ] = 6.3151 ± 0.0005) for MACS0454-1251 and measure a Ly α velocity offset of |$\Delta v \approx 300 \pm 70 \rm {km\, s}^{-1}$|⁠. The remaining two galaxies we detect no [C  ii ] but provide 3σ upper limits on their [C  ii ] line luminosities which we use to investigate the |$L_{\textrm {[CII]}} - \rm {SFR}$| relation. Overall our single [C  ii ] detection shows agreement with the relation for local dwarf galaxies. Our [C  ii ] deficient galaxies could potentially be exhibiting low metallicities (Z < Z⊙). Another possible explanation for weaker [C  ii ] emission could be strong feedback from star formation disrupting molecular clouds. We do not detect continuum emission in any of the sources, placing upper limits on their dust masses. Assuming a single dust temperature of |$T_{d}=35 \rm {K}$| dust masses (M dust) range from <4.8 × 107 M⊙ to 2.3 × 108 M⊙. Collectively, our results suggest faint reionization era sources could be metal poor and/or could have strong feedback suppressing [C  ii ] emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a remarkable development of simulation-based inference (SBI) algorithms, and they have now been applied across a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological analyses. There are a number of key advantages to these methods, centred around the ability to perform scalable statistical inference without an explicit likelihood. In this work, we propose two technical building blocks to a specific sequential SBI algorithm, truncated marginal neural ratio estimation (TMNRE). In particular, first, we develop autoregressive ratio estimation with the aim to robustly estimate correlated high-dimensional posteriors. Secondly, we propose a slice-based nested sampling algorithm to efficiently draw both posterior samples and constrained prior samples from ratio estimators, the latter being instrumental for sequential inference. To validate our implementation, we carry out inference tasks on three concrete examples: a toy model of a multidimensional Gaussian, the analysis of a stellar stream mock observation, and finally, a proof-of-concept application to substructure searches in strong gravitational lensing. In addition, we publicly release the code for both the autoregressive ratio estimator and the slice sampler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present gausSN , a Bayesian semiparametric Gaussian Process (GP) model for time-delay estimation with resolved systems of gravitationally lensed supernovae (glSNe). gausSN models the underlying light curve non-parametrically using a GP. Without assuming a template light curve for each SN type, gausSN fits for the time delays of all images using data in any number of wavelength filters simultaneously. We also introduce a novel time-varying magnification model to capture the effects of microlensing alongside time-delay estimation. In this analysis, we model the time-varying relative magnification as a sigmoid function, as well as a constant for comparison to existing time-delay estimation approaches. We demonstrate that gausSN provides robust time-delay estimates for simulations of glSNe from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (Rubin-LSST). We find that up to 43.6 per cent of time-delay estimates from Roman and 52.9 per cent from Rubin-LSST have fractional errors of less than 5  per cent. We then apply gausSN to SN Refsdal and find the time delay for the fifth image is consistent with the original analysis, regardless of microlensing treatment. Therefore, gausSN maintains the level of precision and accuracy achieved by existing time-delay extraction methods with fewer assumptions about the underlying shape of the light curve than template-based approaches, while incorporating microlensing into the statistical error budget. gausSN is scalable for time-delay cosmography analyses given current projections of glSNe discovery rates from Rubin-LSST and Roman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the frontiers for advancing what is known about dark matter lies in using strong gravitational lenses to characterize the population of the smallest dark matter haloes. There is a large volume of information in strong gravitational lens images - the question we seek to answer is to what extent we can refine this information. To this end, we forecast the detectability of a mixed warm and cold dark matter scenario using the anomalous flux ratio method from strong gravitational lensed images. The halo mass function of the mixed dark matter scenario is suppressed relative to cold dark matter but still predicts numerous low-mass dark matter haloes relative to warm dark matter. Since the strong lensing signal receives a contribution from a range of dark matter halo masses and since the signal is sensitive to the specific configuration of dark matter haloes, not just the halo mass function, degeneracies between different forms of suppression in the halo mass function, relative to cold dark matter, can arise. We find that, with a set of lenses with different configurations of the main deflector and hence different sensitivities to different mass ranges of the halo mass function, the different forms of suppression of the halo mass function between the warm dark matter model and the mixed dark matter model can be distinguished with 40 lenses with Bayesian odds of 30:1.