arXiv subjects

Anupreeta More

Publications and source records attributed to Anupreeta More.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Ordering the confusion: A study of the impact of lens models on gravitational-wave lensing detection capabilities

When traveling from their source to the observer, gravitational waves can get deflected by massive objects along their travel path. When the lens is massive enough and the source aligns closely with the line-of-sight to the lens, the wave undergoes strong lensing, leading to several images with the same frequency evolution. These images are separated in time, magnified, and can undergo an overall phase shift. Searches for strongly-lensed gravitational waves are already ongoing. In essence, such searches look for events originating from the same sky location and having the same detector frame parameters. However, the agreement between these quantities can also happen by chance, leading to an important confusion background. To reduce the overlap between background and foreground, one can include lensing models, enforcing the lensing parameters to also be consistent with our expectations. In principle, such models should decrease the confusion background. However, when doing realistic searches, one does not know which model is the correct one. The use of an incorrect model could lead to the non-detection of genuinely lensed events. In this work, we investigate under realistic conditions how one can identify lensed events in the unlensed background. We focus on the impact of the addition of a model for the lens density profile and investigate the effect of potential errors in the modelling. We show that it is extremely difficult to identify lensing confidently without the addition of a lens model. We also show that slight variations in the profile of the lens model are tolerable but a model with incorrect assumptions about the underlying lens population causes significant errors compared to assuming no lens model at all. We also suggest some strategies to improve the confidence in the detection of strong lensing for gravitational waves.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Gravitational Lensing of Gravitational Waves: Probability of Microlensing in Galaxy-Scale Lens Population

With the increase in the number of observed gravitational wave (GW) signals, detecting strongly lensed GWs by galaxies has become a real possibility. Lens galaxies also contain microlenses (e.g., stars and black holes), introducing further frequency-dependent modulations in the strongly lensed GW signal within the LIGO frequency range. The multiple lensed signals in a given lens system have different underlying macro-magnifications ($|μ|$) and are located in varied microlens densities ($Σ_\bullet$), leading to different levels of microlensing distortions. This work quantifies the fraction of strong lens systems affected by microlensing using realistic mock observations. We study 50 quadruply imaged systems (quads) by generating 50 realizations for each lensed signal. However, our conclusions are equally valid for lensed signals in doubly imaged systems (doubles). The lensed signals studied here have $|μ|\sim[0.5, 10]$ and $Σ_\bullet\sim[10, 10^3]~{\rm M}_\odot/{\rm pc^2}$. We find that the microlensing effects are more sensitive to the macro-magnification than the underlying microlens density, even if the latter exceeds $10^3~{\rm M}_\odot/{\rm pc^2}$. The mismatch between lensed and unlensed GW signals rarely exceeds $1\%$ for nearly all binary black hole sources in the total mass range [10 M$_\odot$, 200 M$_\odot$]. This implies that microlensing is not expected to affect the detection or the parameter estimation of such signals and does not pose any further challenges in identifying the different lensed counterparts when macro-magnification is ${\leq}10$. Such a magnification cut is expected to be satisfied by ${\sim}50\%$ of the detectable pairs in quads and ${\sim}90\%$ of the doubles in the fourth observing run of the LIGO-Virgo detector network.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

SiGMa-Net: Deep learning network to distinguish binary black hole signals from short-duration noise transients

Blip glitches, a type of short-duration noise transient in the LIGO--Virgo data, are a nuisance for the binary black hole (BBH) searches. They affect the BBH search sensitivity significantly because their time-domain morphologies are very similar, and that creates difficulty in vetoing them. In this work, we construct a deep-learning neural network to efficiently distinguish BBH signals from blip glitches. We introduce sine-Gaussian projection (SGP) maps, which are projections of GW frequency-domain data snippets on a basis of sine-Gaussians defined by the quality factor and central frequency. We feed the SGP maps to our deep-learning neural network, which classifies the BBH signals and blips. Whereas the BBH signals are simulated, the blips used are taken from real data throughout our analysis. We show that our network significantly improves the identification of the BBH signals in comparison to the results obtained using traditional-$χ^2$ and sine-Gaussian $χ^2$. For example, our network improves the sensitivity by 75% at a false-positive rate of $10^{-2}$ for BBHs with total mass in the range $[80,140]~M_{\odot}$ and SNR in the range $[3,8]$. Also, it correctly identifies 95% of the real GW events in GWTC-3. The computation time for classification is a few minutes for thousands of SGP maps on a single core. With further optimisation in the next version of our algorithm, we expect a further reduction in the computational cost. Our proposed method can potentially improve the veto process in the LIGO--Virgo GW data analysis and conceivably support identifying GW signals in low-latency pipelines.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Strong Lensing Science Collaboration input to the on-sky commissioning of the Vera Rubin Observatory

We present the Strong Lensing Science Collaboration's (SLSC) recommended observing targets for the science verification and science validation phases of commissioning. Our recommendations have been developed in collaboration with the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) Strong Lensing Topical Team. In summary, our key recommendations are as follows: (1) Prioritize fields that span the full range of declination observable from Cerro Pachon during the engineering focused Science Verification phase of commissioning, before concentrating on equatorial fields for the Science Validation surveys. (2) Observe quadruply lensed quasars as the ultimate test of the Active Optics system towards the end of the Science Verification phase of commissioning. These systems are the strongest tests known for delivered image quality. (3) Prioritize science validation survey fields (both single deep pointings and wide fields) that have been searched thoroughly by precursor surveys for strong lenses. (4) The optimal wide (~100 degree^2) science validation field would include the CFHT-LS W4 field, and overlap with the SDSS Stripe 82, DES-SN, KIDS and HSC-SSP fields. (5) The optimal single pointing science validation fields are the XMM-LSS and COSMOS Deep Drilling Fields, the equatorial Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy clusters, and strongly lensed quasars with measured time delays that are well-matched to commissioning timescales.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Improved statistic to identify strongly lensed gravitational wave events

As the number of detected gravitational wave sources increase with increasing sensitivity of the gravitational wave observatories, observing strongly lensed pair of events will become a real possibility. Lensed GW events will have very accurately measured time delays, as well as magnification ratios. If the corresponding lens system can be identified electromagnetically and the redshifts of the lens and the host galaxy can be measured, such events can be used to constrain important astrophysical parameters of the lens system. As most lensing events will have image separations that will be significantly smaller than the GW event localization uncertainties, it is important that we develop diagnostics that will aid in the robust identification of such lensed events. We define a new statistic based on the joint probability of lensing observables that can be used to discriminate lensed pair of events from the unlensed ones. To this end, we carry out simulations of lensed GW events to infer the distribution of the relative time delays, relative magnifications sub-divided by the type of lensed images. We compare this distribution to a similar one obtained for random unlensed event pairs. Our improved statistic can be used to improve the existing ranking approach adopted by the search pipelines in order to down-select event pairs for joint parameter estimates. The distributions we obtain can further be used to define more informative priors in joint parameter estimation analyses for candidate lensed events.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Survey of Gravitationally-lensed Objects in HSC Imaging (SuGOHI). VI. Crowdsourced lens finding with Space Warps

Strong lenses are extremely useful probes of the distribution of matter on galaxy and cluster scales at cosmological distances, but are rare and difficult to find. The number of currently known lenses is on the order of 1,000. We wish to use crowdsourcing to carry out a lens search targeting massive galaxies selected from over 442 square degrees of photometric data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) survey. We selected a sample of $\sim300,000$ galaxies with photometric redshifts in the range $0.2 < z_{phot} < 1.2$ and photometrically inferred stellar masses $\log{M_*} > 11.2$. We crowdsourced lens finding on this sample of galaxies on the Zooniverse platform, as part of the Space Warps project. The sample was complemented by a large set of simulated lenses and visually selected non-lenses, for training purposes. Nearly 6,000 citizen volunteers participated in the experiment. In parallel, we used YattaLens, an automated lens finding algorithm, to look for lenses in the same sample of galaxies. Based on a statistical analysis of classification data from the volunteers, we selected a sample of the most promising $\sim1,500$ candidates which we then visually inspected: half of them turned out to be possible (grade C) lenses or better. Including lenses found by YattaLens or serendipitously noticed in the discussion section of the Space Warps website, we were able to find 14 definite lenses, 129 probable lenses and 581 possible lenses. YattaLens found half the number of lenses discovered via crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is able to produce samples of lens candidates with high completeness and purity, compared to currently available automated algorithms. A hybrid approach, in which the visual inspection of samples of lens candidates pre-selected by discovery algorithms and/or coupled to machine learning is crowdsourced, will be a viable option for lens finding in the 2020s.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Gravitational Lensing of Gravitational Waves: Effect of Microlens Population in Lensing Galaxies

With increasing sensitivities of the current ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, the prospects of detecting a strongly lensed GW signal are going to be high in the coming years. When such a signal passes through an intervening lensing galaxy or galaxy cluster, the embedded stellar-mass microlenses lead to interference patterns in the signal that may leave observable signatures. In this work, we present an extensive study of these wave effects in the LIGO/Virgo frequency band ($10$-$10^4$ Hz) due to the presence of the microlens population in galaxy-scale lenses for the first time. We consider a wide range of strong lensing (macro) magnifications and the corresponding surface microlens densities found in lensing galaxies and use them to generate realisations of the amplification factor. The methodologies for simulating amplification curves for both types of images (minima and saddle points) are also discussed. We then study how microlensing is broadly affected by the parameters like macro-magnifications, stellar densities, the initial mass function (IMF), types of images, and microlens distribution around the source. In general, with increasing macro-magnification values, the effects of microlensing become increasingly significant regardless of other parameters. Mismatch analysis between the lensed and the unlensed GW waveforms from chirping binaries suggests that, while inferring the source parameters, microlensing can not be neglected for macro-magnification $\gtrsim 15$. Furthermore, for extremely high macro-magnifications $\gtrsim 100$, the mismatch can even exceed $5\%$, which can result in both a missed detection and, consequently, a missed lensed signal.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Survey of Gravitationally lensed Objects in HSC Imaging (SuGOHI) -- VII. Discovery and Confirmation of Three Strongly Lensed Quasars

We present spectroscopic confirmation of three new two-image gravitationally lensed quasars, compiled from existing strong lens and X-ray catalogs. Images of HSC J091843.27$-$022007.5 show a red galaxy with two blue point sources at either side, separated by 2.26 arcsec. This system has a source and a lens redshifts $z_s=0.804$ and $z_{\ell}=0.459$, respectively, as obtained by our follow-up spectroscopic data. CXCO J100201.50$+$020330.0 shows two point sources separated by 0.85 arcsec on either side of an early-type galaxy. The follow-up spectroscopic data confirm the fainter quasar has the same redshift with the brighter quasar from the SDSS fiber spectrum at $z_s=2.016$. The deflecting foreground galaxy is a typical early-type galaxy at a redshift of $z_{\ell}=0.439$. SDSS J135944.21$+$012809.8 has two point sources with quasar spectra at the same redshift $z_s=1.096$, separated by 1.05 arcsec, and fits to the HSC images confirm the presence of a galaxy between these. These discoveries demonstrate the power of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP)'s deep imaging and wide sky coverage. Combined with existing X-ray source catalogues and follow-up spectroscopy, the HSC-SSP provides us unique opportunities to find multiple-image quasars lensed by a foreground galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Lensed quasar search via time variability with the HSC transient survey

Gravitationally lensed quasars are useful for studying astrophysics and cosmology, and enlarging the sample size of lensed quasars is important for multiple studies. In this work, we develop a lens search algorithm for four-image (quad) lensed quasars based on their time variability. In the development of the lens search algorithm, we constructed a pipeline simulating multi-epoch images of lensed quasars in cadenced surveys, accounting for quasar variabilities, quasar hosts, lens galaxies, and the PSF variation. Applying the simulation pipeline to the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) transient survey, we generated HSC-like difference images of the mock lensed quasars from Oguri & Marshall's lens catalog. We further developed a lens search algorithm that picks out variable objects as lensed quasar candidates based on their spatial extent in the difference images. We tested our lens search algorithm with the mock lensed quasars and variable objects from the HSC transient survey. Using difference images from multiple epochs, our lens search algorithm achieves a high true-positive rate (TPR) of 90.1% and a low false-positive rate (FPR) of 2.3% for the bright quads with wide separation. With a preselection of the number of blobs in the difference image, we obtain a TPR of 97.6% and a FPR of 2.6% for the bright quads with wide separation. Even when difference images are only available in one single epoch, our lens search algorithm can still detect the bright quads with wide separation at high TPR of 97.6% and low FPR of 2.4% in the optimal seeing scenario, and at TPR of $\sim94%$ and FPR of $\sim5%$ in typical scenarios. Therefore, our lens search algorithm is promising and is applicable to ongoing and upcoming cadenced surveys, particularly the HSC transient survey and the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time, for finding new lensed quasar systems. [abridged]

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Time Delay Lens Modeling Challenge: I. Experimental Design

Strong gravitational lenses with measured time delay are a powerful tool to measure cosmological parameters, especially the Hubble constant ($H_0$). Recent studies show that by combining just three multiply-imaged AGN systems, one can determine $H_0$ to 2.4% precision. Furthermore, the number of time-delay lens systems is growing rapidly, enabling the determination of $H_0$ to 1% precision in the near future. However, as the precision increases it is important to ensure that systematic errors and biases remain subdominant. For this purpose, challenges with simulated datasets are a key component in this process. Following the experience of the past challenge on time delay, where it was shown that time delays can indeed be measured precisely and accurately at the sub-percent level, we now present the "Time Delay Lens Modeling Challenge" (TDLMC). The goal of this challenge is to assess the present capabilities of lens modeling codes and assumptions and test the level of accuracy of inferred cosmological parameters given realistic mock datasets. We invite scientists to model a set of simulated HST observations of 50 mock lens systems. The systems are organized in rungs, with the complexity and realism increasing going up the ladder. The goal of the challenge is to infer $H_0$ for each rung, given the HST images, the time delay, and stellar velocity dispersion of the deflector for a fixed background cosmology. The TDLMC challenge starts with the mock data release on 2018 January 8th. The deadline for blind submission is different for each rung. The deadline for Rung 0-1 is 2018 September 8; the deadline for Rung 2 is 2019 April 8 and the one for Rung 3 is 2019 September 8. This first paper gives an overview of the challenge including the data design, and a set of metrics to quantify the modeling performance and challenge details.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2020

Survey of Gravitationally-lensed Objects in HSC Imaging (SuGOHI). V. Group-to-cluster scale lens search from the HSC-SSP Survey

We report the largest sample of candidate strong gravitational lenses belonging to the Survey of Gravitationally-lensed Objects in HSC Imaging for group-to-cluster scale (SuGOHI-c) systems. These candidates are compiled from the S18A data release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) Survey. We visually inspect $\sim39,500$ galaxy clusters, selected from several catalogs, overlapping with the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep fields, spanning the cluster redshift range $0.05<z_{cl}<1.38$. We discover 641 candidate lens systems, of which 536 are new. From the full sample, 47 are almost certainly bonafide lenses, 181 of them are highly probable lenses and 413 are possible lens systems. Additionally, we present 131 lens candidates at galaxy-scale serendipitously discovered during the inspection. We obtained spectroscopic follow-up of 10 candidates using the X-shooter. With this follow-up, we confirm 8 systems as strong gravitational lenses. Of the remaining two, one of the sources is too faint to detect any emission, and the other has a tentative redshift close to the lens redshift, but additional arcs in this system are yet to be observed spectroscopically. Since the HSC-SSP is an ongoing survey, we expect to find $\sim600$ definite or probable lenses using this procedure and even more if combined with other lens finding methods.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Discovery of an unusually compact lensed Lyman Break Galaxy from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey

We report the serendipitous discovery of HSC J0904$-$0102, a quadruply-lensed Lyman break galaxy (LBG) in the Survey of Gravitationally-lensed Objects in Hyper Suprime-Cam Imaging (SuGOHI). Owing to its point-like appearance, the source was thought to be a lensed active galactic nucleus. We obtained follow-up spectroscopic data with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrographs on the Gemini South Telescope, which confirmed this to be a lens system. The deflecting foreground galaxy is a typical early-type galaxy at a high redshift of $z_{\ell} = 0.957$ with stellar velocity dispersion $σ_v=259\pm56$ km~s$^{-1}$. The lensed source is identified as an LBG at $z_{\rm s} = 3.403$, based on the sharp drop bluewards of Ly$α$ and other absorption features. A simple lens mass model for the system, assuming a singular isothermal ellipsoid, yields an Einstein radius of $θ_{\rm Ein} = 1. 23^{\prime\prime}$ and a total mass within the Einstein radius of $M_{\rm Ein} = (5.55\pm 0.24) \times 10^{11}M_{\odot}$ corresponding to a velocity dispersion of $σ_{\rm SIE}= 283\pm 3$ km~s$^{-1}$, which is in good agreement with the value derived spectroscopically. The most isolated lensed LBG image has a magnification of $\sim 6.5$. In comparison with other lensed LBGs and typical $z\sim4$ LBG populations, HSC J0904$-$0102 is unusually compact, an outlier at $>2σ$ confidence. Together with a previously discovered SuGOHI lens, HSC J1152$+$0047, that is similarly compact, we believe that the HSC Survey is extending LBG studies down to smaller galaxy sizes.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

X-ray study of the double source plane gravitational lens system Eye of Horus observed with XMM-Newton

A double source plane (DSP) system is a precious probe for the density profile of distant galaxies and cosmological parameters. However, these measurements could be affected by the surrounding environment of the lens galaxy. Thus, it is important to evaluate the cluster-scale mass for detailed mass modeling. We observed the {\it Eye of Horus}, a DSP system discovered by the Subaru HSC--SSP, with XMM--Newton. We detected two X-ray extended emissions, originating from two clusters, one centered at the {\it Eye of Horus}, and the other located $\sim100$ arcsec northeast to the {\it Eye of Horus}. We determined the dynamical mass assuming hydrostatic equilibrium, and evaluated their contributions to the lens mass interior of the Einstein radius. The contribution of the former cluster is $1.1^{+1.2}_{-0.5}\times10^{12}~M_{\odot}$, which is $21-76\%$ of the total mass within the Einstein radius. The discrepancy is likely due to the complex gravitational structure along the line of sight. On the other hand, the contribution of the latter cluster is only $\sim2\%$ on the {\it Eye of Horus}. Therefore, the influence associated with this cluster can be ignored.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Survey of Gravitationally-lensed Objects in HSC Imaging (SuGOHI). IV. Lensed quasar search in the HSC survey

Strong gravitationally lensed quasars provide powerful means to study galaxy evolution and cosmology. We use Chitah to hunt for new lens systems in the Hyper Suprime$-$Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC SSP) S16A. We present 46 lens candidates, of which 3 are previously known. Including 2 additional lenses found by YattaLens, we obtain X-shooter spectra of 6 promising candidates for lens confirmation and redshift measurements. We report new spectroscopic redshift measurements for both the lens and source galaxies in 4 lens systems. We apply the lens modeling software Glee to model our 6 X-shooter lenses uniformly. Through our analysis of the HSC images, we find that HSCJ022622$-$042522, HSCJ115252$+$004733, and HSCJ141136$-$010216 have point-like lensed images, and that the lens light distribution is well aligned with mass distribution within 6 deg. Thanks to the X-shooter spectra, we estimate fluxes on the Baldwin- Phillips-Terlevich (BPT) diagram, and find that HSCJ022622$-$042522 has a probable quasar source, based on the upper limit of the Nii flux intensity. We also measure the FWHM of Ly$α$ emission of HSCJ141136$-$010216 to be $\sim$254 km/s, showing that it is a probable Lyman-$α$ emitter.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Survey of gravitationally-lensed objects in HSC imaging (SuGOHI). III. Statistical strong lensing constraints on the stellar IMF of CMASS galaxies

Context: The determination of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) of massive galaxies is one of the open problems in cosmology. Strong gravitational lensing is one of the few methods that allow us to constrain the IMF outside of the Local Group. Aims: The goal of this study is to statistically constrain the distribution in the IMF mismatch parameter, defined as the ratio between the true stellar mass of a galaxy and that inferred assuming a reference IMF, of massive galaxies from the BOSS CMASS sample. Methods: We take 23 strong lenses drawn from the CMASS sample, measure their Einstein radii and stellar masses using multi-band photometry from the Hyper Suprime-Cam survey, then fit a model distribution for the IMF mismatch parameter and dark matter halo mass to the whole sample. We use a prior on halo mass from weak lensing measurements and account for strong lensing selection effects in our model. Results: Assuming an NFW density profile for the dark matter distribution, we infer a value $μ_{\mathrm{IMF}} = -0.04\pm0.11$ for the average base-10 logarithm of the IMF mismatch parameter, defined with respect to a Chabrier IMF. A Salpeter IMF is in tension with our measurements. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with a scenario in which the region of massive galaxies where the IMF normalization is significantly heavier than that of the Milky Way is much smaller than the scales $5\sim10$~kpc probed by the Einstein radius of the lenses in our sample, as recent spatially resolved studies of the IMF in massive galaxies suggest. The MCMC chains describing the posterior probability distribution of the model are available online, together with the code used to obtain them.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

A Search for Gravitationally Lensed Quasars and Quasar Pairs in Pan-STARRS1: Spectroscopy and Sources of Shear in the Diamond 2M1134$-$2103

We present results of a systematic search for gravitationally lensed quasars in Pan-STARRS1. Our final sample of candidates comprises of 91 systems, not including 25 rediscovered lensed quasars and quasar pairs. In the absence of spectroscopy to verify the lensing nature of the candidates, the main sources of contaminants are likely to be quasar pairs, which we consider to be a byproduct of our work, and a smaller number of quasar$+$star associations. Amongst the independently discovered quads is 2M1134$-$2103, for which we obtained spectroscopy for the first time, finding a redshift of 2.77 for the quasar. There is evidence for microlensing in at least one image. We perform detailed mass modeling of this system using archival imaging data, and find that the unusually large shear responsible for the diamond-like configuration can be attributed mainly to a faint companion $\sim 4''$ away, and to a galaxy group/cluster $\sim 30''$ away. We also set limits of $z\sim0.5-1.5$ on the redshift of the lensing galaxy, based on its brightness, the image separation of the lensed images, and an analysis of the observed photometric flux ratios.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Constraining the mass density of free-floating black holes using razor-thin lensing arcs

Strong lensing of active galactic nuclei in the radio can result in razor-thin arcs, with a thickness of less than a milli-arcsecond, if observed at the resolution achievable with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). Such razor-thin arcs provide a unique window on the coarseness of the matter distribution between source and observer. In this paper, we investigate to what extent such razor-thin arcs can constrain the number density and mass function of `free-floating' black holes, defined as black holes that do not, or no longer, reside at the centre of a galaxy. These can be either primordial in origin or arise as by-products of the evolution of super-massive black holes in galactic nuclei. When sufficiently close to the line of sight, free-floating black holes cause kink-like distortions in the arcs, which are detectable by eye in the VLBI images as long as the black hole mass exceeds $\sim 1000$ Solar masses. Using a crude estimate for the detectability of such distortions, we analytically compute constraints on the matter density of free-floating black holes resulting from null-detections of distortions along a realistic, fiducial arc, and find them to be comparable to those from quasar milli-lensing. We also use predictions from a large hydrodynamical simulation for the demographics of free-floating black holes that are not primordial in origin, and show that their predicted mass density is roughly four orders of magnitude below the constraints achievable with a single razor-thin arc.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2018

Microlensing constraints on primordial black holes with the Subaru/HSC Andromeda observation

Primordial black holes (PBHs) have long been suggested as a viable candidate for the elusive dark matter (DM). The abundance of such PBHs has been constrained using a number of astrophysical observations, except for a hitherto unexplored mass window of $M_{\rm PBH}=[10^{-14},10^{-9}]M_\odot$. Here we carry out a dense-cadence (2~min sampling rate), 7 hour-long observation of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) with the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam to search for microlensing of stars in M31 by PBHs lying in the halo regions of the Milky Way (MW) and M31. Given our simultaneous monitoring of tens of millions of stars in M31, if such light PBHs make up a significant fraction of DM, we expect to find many microlensing events for the PBH DM scenario. However, we identify only a single candidate event, which translates into the most stringent upper bounds on the abundance of PBHs in the mass range $M_{\rm PBH}\simeq [10^{-11}, 10^{-6}]M_\odot$.

astro-ph.CO↗