Shapelets: II. A Method for Weak Lensing Measurements

Abstract

Weak gravitational lensing provides a unique method to directly measure the distribution of mass in the universe. Because the distortions induced by lensing in the shape of background galaxies are small, the measurement of weak lensing requires high precision. Here, we present a new method for obtaining reliable weak shear measurements. It is based on the Shapelet basis function formalism of Refregier (2001), in which galaxy images are decomposed into several shape components, each providing independent estimates of the local shear. The formalism affords an efficient modelling and deconvolution of the Point Spread Function. Using the remarkable properties of Shapelets under distortions, we construct a simple, minimum variance estimator for the shear. We describe how we implement the method in practice, and test the method using realistic simulated images. We find our method to be stable and reliable for conditions analogous to ground-based surveys. Compared to earlier methods, our method has the advantages of being accurate, linear, mathematically well-defined, and optimally sensitive, since it uses the full shape information available for each galaxy.