The Flat Spectrum Radio Luminosity Function, Gravitational Lensing, Galaxy Ellipticities and Cosmology

Abstract

The number of lenses found in the JVAS survey of flat-spectrum radio sources for gravitational lenses is consistent with statistical models of optical surveys for lensed quasars. The 90% confidence limit on Omega_0 in flat cosmological models (Omega_0+lambda_0=1) is approximately 0.15 < Omega_0 < 2. Depending on the RLF model, we predict 2.4 to 3.6 lenses in the JVAS survey and in the first part of the fainter CLASS survey, and 0.3 to 0.6 lenses in the brighter PHFS survey for an Omega_0=1 model. The uncertainties are due to the small numbers of lenses (there are only 4 compact JVAS lenses) and the uncertainties in the radio luminosity function (RLF) caused by the lack of information on the redshift distribution of 10-300 mJy radio sources. If we force the models to produce the observed number of JVAS lenses, the mean redshift of a 50 mJy source varies from z_s=0.4 for Omega_0=0, to 1.9 for Omega_0=1, to almost 4.0 for Omega_0=2 when Omega_0+lambda_0=1. The source fluxes and redshifts of the lenses in the JVAS and CLASS surveys are consistent with the statistical models. The numbers of four-image lenses found in the JVAS survey and in surveys for lensed quasars are mutually consistent, but slightly larger than expected for models using the observed axis ratios of E and S0 galaxies. The best fits to the lens data require a projected axis ratio of b/a=0.50 with a 90% confidence range of 0.25 < b/a < 0.65.