Confronting LCDM with Gravitational Lensing Constraints on Small Scale Structure

Abstract

This paper primarily addresses the question of whether recent lensing observations probing the small scale structure in the universe are consistent with the LCDM model. A conservative approach is taken where only the most difficult to explain cases of image flux anomalies in strong lenses are considered. Numerical simulations are performed to compare predictions for the LCDM small scale mass function with observed flux ratios. It is found by simulating several represent cases that all the cusp caustic lens anomalies and the disagreements between monochromatic flux ratios and simple lens models might be explained without any substructure in the primary lenses' dark matter halos. Intergalactic LCDM halos are enough to naturally explain these cases. However, thus far, spectroscopic gravitational lensing observations require more small mass halos (~ 10^6 Msun) than is expected in the LCDM model.