arXiv subjects

J. Wambsganss

Publications and source records attributed to J. Wambsganss.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Report by the ESA-ESO Working Group on Extra-Solar Planets

Various techniques are being used to search for extra-solar planetary signatures, including accurate measurement of radial velocity and positional (astrometric) displacements, gravitational microlensing, and photometric transits. Planned space experiments promise a considerable increase in the detections and statistical knowledge arising especially from transit and astrometric measurements over the years 2005-15, with some hundreds of terrestrial-type planets expected from transit measurements, and many thousands of Jupiter-mass planets expected from astrometric measurements. Beyond 2015, very ambitious space (Darwin/TPF) and ground (OWL) experiments are targeting direct detection of nearby Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone and the measurement of their spectral characteristics. Beyond these, `Life Finder' (aiming to produce confirmatory evidence of the presence of life) and `Earth Imager' (some massive interferometric array providing resolved images of a distant Earth) appear as distant visions. This report, to ESA and ESO, summarises the direction of exo-planet research that can be expected over the next 10 years or so, identifies the roles of the major facilities of the two organisations in the field, and concludes with some recommendations which may assist development of the field. The report has been compiled by the Working Group members and experts over the period June-December 2004.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Microlensing in the double quasar SBS1520+530

We present the results of a monitoring campaign of the double quasar SBS1520+530 at Maidanak observatory from April 2003 to August 2004. We obtained light curves in V and R filters that show small-amplitude Δm~0.1 mag intrinsic variations of the quasar on time scales of about 100 days. The data set is consistent with the previously determined time delay of Δt=(130+-3) days by Burud et al. (2002). We find that the time delay corrected magnitude difference between the quasar images is now larger by (0.14+-0.03) mag than during the observations by Burud et al. (2002). This confirms the presence of gravitational microlensing variations in this system.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Full characterization of binary-lens event OGLE-2002-BLG-069 from PLANET observations

We analyze the photometric data obtained by PLANET and OGLE on the caustic-crossing binary-lens microlensing event OGLE-2002-BLG-069. Thanks to the excellent photometric and spectroscopic coverage of the event, we are able to constrain the lens model up to the known ambiguity between close and wide binary lenses. The detection of annual parallax in combination with measurements of extended-source effects allows us to determine the mass, distance and velocity of the lens components for the competing models. While the model involving a close binary lens leads to a Bulge-Disc lens scenario with a lens mass of M=(0.51 +- 0.15) M_sol and distance of D_L=(2.9 +- 0.4) kpc, the wide binary lens solution requires a rather implausible binary black-hole lens (M >=126 M_sol). Furthermore we compare current state-of-the-art numerical and empirical models for the surface brightness profile of the source, a G5III Bulge giant. We find that a linear limb-darkening model for the atmosphere of the source star is consistent with the data whereas a PHOENIX atmosphere model assuming LTE and with no free parameter does not match our observations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Lensing Survey of the Most X-Ray Luminous Galaxy Clusters

We present the first three galaxy clusters of a larger sample of the most X-ray luminous galaxy clusters selected from the ROSAT Bright Survey. This project, which is a systematic search for strong lensing, aims at arc statistics, mass determinations and studies of distant lensed galaxies. The three galaxy clusters presented here have been observed with the Wide Field Imager at the ESO2.2m in the R- and V-band. The images show lensing features like distinct distorted galaxies and arcs. Mass distributions of the lensing galaxy clusters and photometric properties of some arc candidates are presented. In addition we report the discovery of three giant arcs.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

OGLE-2003-BLG-238: Microlensing Mass Estimate of an Isolated Star

Microlensing is the only known direct method to measure the masses of stars that lack visible companions. In terms of microlensing observables, the mass is given by M=(c^2/4G)\tilde r_E θ_E and so requires the measurement of both the angular Einstein radius, θ_E, and the projected Einstein radius, \tilde r_E. Simultaneous measurement of these two parameters is extremely rare. Here we analyze OGLE-2003-BLG-238, a spectacularly bright (I_min=10.3), high-magnification (A_max = 170) microlensing event. Pronounced finite source effects permit a measurement of θ_E = 650 uas. Although the timescale of the event is only t_E = 38 days, one can still obtain weak constraints on the microlens parallax: 4.4 AU < \tilde r_E < 18 AU at the 1 σlevel. Together these two parameter measurements yield a range for the lens mass of 0.36 M_sun < M < 1.48 M_sun. As was the case for MACHO-LMC-5, the only other single star (apart from the Sun) whose mass has been determined from its gravitational effects, this estimate is rather crude. It does, however, demonstrate the viability of the technique. We also discuss future prospects for single-lens mass measurements.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Probing the atmosphere of the bulge G5III star OGLE-2002-BUL-069 by analysis of microlense H alpha line

We discuss high-resolution, time-resolved spectra of the caustic exit of the binary microlensing event OGLE 2002-BUL-69 obtained with UVES on the VLT. The source star is a G5III giant in the Galactic Bulge. During such events, the source star is highly magnified, and a strong differential magnification around the caustic resolves its surface. Using an appropriate model stellar atmosphere generated by the NextGEN code we obtained a model light curve for the caustic exit and compared it with a dense set of photometric observations obtained by the PLANET microlensing follow up network. We further compared predicted variations in the H alpha equivalent width with those measured from our spectra. While the model and observations agree in the gross features, there are discrepancies suggesting shortcomings in the model, particularly for the H alpha line core, where we have detected amplified emission from the stellar chromosphere as the source star's trailing limb exited the caustic. This achievement became possible by the provision of the OGLE-III Early Warning System, a network of small telescopes capable of nearly-continuous round-the-clock photometric monitoring, on-line data reduction, daily near-real-time modelling in order to predict caustic crossing parameters, and a fast and efficient response of a 8m-class telescope to a ``Target-Of-Opportunity'' observation request.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

The PLANET microlensing campaign: Implications for planets around galactic disk and bulge stars

With round-the-clock monitoring of galactic bulge microlensing events, the PLANET experiment constrains the abundance and can yield the discovery of planets down to the mass of earth around galactic disk and bulge stars. Data taken until 1999 imply that less than 1/3 of bulge M-dwarfs are surrounded by jupiter-mass companions at orbital radii between 1 and 4 AU. The current rate of microlensing alerts allows 15-25 jupiters and 1-3 earths to be probed per year.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Extrinsic Radio Variability of JVAS/CLASS Gravitational Lenses

We present flux-ratio curves of the fold and cusp (i.e. close multiple) images of six JVAS/CLASS gravitational lens systems. The data were obtained over a period of 8.5 months in 2001 with the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) at 5-GHz with 50 mas resolution, as part of a MERLIN Key-Project. Even though the time delays between the fold and cusp images are small (<~1 day) compared to the time-scale of intrinsic source variability, all six lens systems show evidence that suggests the presence of extrinsic variability. In particular, the cusp images of B2045+265 -- regarded as the strongest case of the violation of the cusp relation (i.e. the sum of the magnifications of the three cusp images add to zero) -- show extrinsic variations in their flux-ratios up to ~40 percent peak-to-peak on time scales of several months. Its low Galactic latitude of b=-10 degree and a line-of-sight toward the Cygnus superbubble region suggest that Galactic scintillation is the most likely cause. The cusp images of B1422+231 at b=+69 degree do not show strong extrinsic variability. Galactic scintillation can therefore cause significant scatter in the cusp and fold relations of some radio lens systems (up to 10 percent rms), even though these relations remain violated when averaged over a <~1 year time baseline.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

PLANET II: A Microlensing and Transit Search for Extrasolar Planets

Due to their extremely small luminosity compared to the stars they orbit, planets outside our own Solar System are extraordinarily difficult to detect directly in optical light. Careful photometric monitoring of distant stars, however, can reveal the presence of exoplanets via the microlensing or eclipsing effects they induce. The international PLANET collaboration is performing such monitoring using a cadre of semi-dedicated telescopes around the world. Their results constrain the number of gas giants orbiting 1--7 AU from the most typical stars in the Galaxy. Upgrades in the program are opening regions of ``exoplanet discovery space'' -- toward smaller masses and larger orbital radii -- that are inaccessible to the Doppler velocity technique.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Optical monitoring of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q2237+0305 from APO between June 1995 and January 1998

We present a data set of images of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q2237+0305, that was obtained at the Apache Point Observatory (APO) between June 1995 and January 1998. Although the images were taken under variable, often poor seeing conditions and with coarse pixel sampling, photometry is possible for the two brighter quasar images A and B with the help of exact quasar image positions from HST observations. We obtain a light curve with 73 data points for each of the images A and B. There is evidence for a long (>~ 100 day) brightness peak in image A in 1996 with an amplitude of about 0.4 to 0.5 mag (relative to 1995), which indicates that microlensing has been taking place in the lensing galaxy. Image B does not vary much over the course of the observation period. The long, smooth variation of the light curve is similar to the results from the OGLE monitoring of the system (Wozniak et al. 2000a).

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

The Double Quasar HE1104-1805: a case study for time delay determination with poorly sampled lightcurves

We present a new determination of the time delay of the gravitational lens system HE1104-1805 ('Double Hamburger') based on a previously unpublished dataset. We argue that the previously published value of dt_(A-B)=0.73 years was affected by a bias of the employed method. We determine a new value of dt_(A-B)=0.85+/-0.05 years (2 sigma confidence level), using six different techniques based on non interpolation methods in the time domain. The result demonstrates that even in the case of poorly sampled lightcurves, useful information can be obtained with regard to the time delay. The error estimates were calculated through Monte Carlo simulations. With two already existing models for the lens and using its recently determined redshift, we infer a range of values of the Hubble parameter: Ho=48+/-4 km/s Mpc^-1 (2 sigma) for a singular isothermal ellipsoid (SIE) and Ho=62+/-4 km/s Mpc^-1 (2 sigma) for a constant mass-to-light ratio plus shear model (M/L+gamma). The possibly much larger errors due to systematic uncertainties in modeling the lens potential are not included in this error estimate.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Discovery of depressions in the X-ray emission of the distant galaxy cluster RBS797 in a CHANDRA observation

We present CHANDRA observations of the X-ray luminous, distant galaxy cluster RBS797 at z=0.35. In the central region the X-ray emission shows two pronounced X-ray minima, which are located opposite to each other with respect to the cluster centre. These depressions suggest an interaction between the central radio galaxy and the intra-cluster medium, which would be the first detection in such a distant cluster. The minima are symmetric relative to the cluster centre and very deep compared to similar features found in a few other nearby clusters. A spectral and morphological analysis of the overall cluster emission shows that RBS797 is a hot cluster (T=7.7^{+1.2}_{-1.0} keV) with a total mass of M_{tot}(r_{500})=6.5^{+1.6}_{-1.2} 10^{14} \msol.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

On the Probability of Microlensing in GRB Afterglows

The declining lightcurve of the optical afterglow of gamma-ray burst GRB000301C showed rapid variability with one particularly bright feature at about t-t0=3.8 days. This event was interpreted as gravitational microlensing by Garnavich, Loeb & Stanek (2000) and subsequently used to derive constraints on the structure of the GRB optical afterglow. In this paper, we use these structural parameters to calculate the probability of such a microlensing event in a realistic scenario, where all compact objects in the universe are associated with observable galaxies. For GRB000301C at a redshift of z=2.04, the `a posteriori' probability for a microlensing event with an amplitude of dm>=0.95 mag (as observed) is 0.7% (2.7%) for the most plausible scenario of a flat Lambda-dominated FRW universe with Omega_m=0.3 and a fraction f_*=0.2 (1.0) of dark-matter in the form of compact objects. If we lower the magnification threshold to dm>=0.10 mag, the probabilities for microlensing events of GRB afterglows increase to 17% (57%). We emphasise that this low probability for a microlensing signature of almost a magnitude does not exclude that the observed event in the afterglow lightcurve of GRB000301C was caused by microlensing, especially in light of the fact that a galaxy was found within 2 arcsec from the GRB. In that case, however, a more robust upper limit on the `a posteriori' probability of ~5% is found. It does show, however, that it will not be easy to create a large sample of strong GRB afterglow microlensing events for statistical studies of their physical conditions on micro-arcsec scales.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

Radio Microlensing: Past, Present & Near Future

Strongly correlated non-intrinsic variability between 5 and 8.5 GHz has been observed in one of the lensed images of the gravitational lens B1600+434. These non-intrinsic (i.e. `external') variations are interpreted as `radio-microlensing' of relativistic micro-arsec-scale jet components in the source at a redshift of z=1.59 by massive compact objects in the halo of the edge-on disk lens galaxy at z=0.41. We shortly summarize these observations and discuss several new observational and theoretical programs to investigate this new phenomenon in more detail.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2000

A radio-microlensing caustic crossing in B1600+434?

First, we review the current status of the detection of strong `external' variability in the CLASS gravitational B1600+434, focusing on the 1998 VLA 8.5-GHz and 1998/9 WSRT multi-frequency observations. We show that this data can best be explained in terms of radio-microlensing. We then proceed to show some preliminary results from our new multi-frequency VLA monitoring program, in particular the detection of a strong feature (~30%) in the light curve of the lensed image which passes predominantly through the dark-matter halo of the lens galaxy. We tentatively interpret this event, which lasted for several weeks, as a radio-microlensing caustic crossing, i.e. the superluminal motion of a micro-arcsec-scale jet-component in the lensed source over a single caustic in the magnification pattern, that has been created by massive compact objects along the line-of-sight to the lensed image.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

The ROSAT Deep Survey IV. A distant lensing cluster of galaxies with a bright arc

An unusual double-lobed extended X-ray source (RX J105343+5735) is detected in the ROSAT ultra-deep HRI image of the Lockman Hole. The angular size of the source is 1.7 X 0.7 arcmin^2 and its X-ray flux is 2 X 10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1. R-band imaging from the Keck telescope revealed a marginal excess of galaxies brighter than R=24.5, but Keck LRIS spectroscopy of 24 objects around the X-ray centroid did not yield a significant number of concordant redshifts. The brightest galaxy close to the centre of the eastern emission peak appears to be a gravitationally lensed arc at z=2.570, suggesting that the X-ray object is associated with the lens, most likely a cluster of galaxies. Based on a comparison of lensing surface mass density, X-ray luminosity, morphology and galaxy magnitudes with clusters of known distance, we argue that RX J105343+5735 is a cluster at a redshift around 1. Future X-ray, ground-based optical/NIR and high resolution HST observations of the system will be able to clarify the nature of the object.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Ultraviolet images of the gravitationally lensed quadruple quasar Q2237+0305 with the HST

We analyze observations of the quadruple lensed quasar Q2237+0305, taken with the WFPC2 camera in the F336W and F300W bands. 25 exposures were performed within 15 hours real time on 3 November 1995. On a timescale of 3--4 hours, we observe no variation in component A of greater than 0.02 mag. The other components are constant over a period of 10 hours to within about 0.05 mag. In the final 5 hours there is some evidence (not conclusive) for variation of component D by about 0.1 mag. Component A was brighter than component B by about 0.3 mag. Components C and D were fainter than component A by about 1.3 and 1.4 mag. Any fifth (central) component was at least 6.5 mag fainter than component A. Using the PC chip, we measure the relative distances of the four components with high accuracy. Our values are systematically larger than other investigators' (by 0.1% to 2.0%). The F336W filter had been chosen for the observations because it could have allowed us to see extended Ly-alpha emission from the Broad-Line Region (BLR). However, the quasar components are consistent with a point source. We conclude that there cannot be a Ly-alpha feature in the image plane brighter than about 23.5 mag in F336W and further from the quasar core than 100 mas. According to a lensing model by Rix, Scheider & Bahcall (1992), this would preclude any such features in the source plane further than 20 mas (~ 100 h^{-1} pc, assuming q_0 = 0.5) from the quasar core and brighter than 25 mag before magnification.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

X-ray observations of the rich cluster CL 0939+4713 and discovery of the strongly variable source RXJ0943.0+4701

Recent X-ray observations of the rich galaxy cluster CL 0939+4713 at z = 0.41 with the ROSAT/HRI as well as with the ASCA/GIS and ASCA/SIS are presented and analysed. With the high resolution imaging data we confirm and extend the earlier impression that the cluster has a lot of substructure. Two maxima of the cluster emission are obvious in the images, each of them shows even some internal structure. For the total luminosity of the cluster in the ROSAT band we obtain L = 6.4_{-0.3}^{+0.7} 10^{44} erg/s. We perform spectral fits for the two ASCA instruments and for the ROSAT/PSPC simultaneously. The most reliable numbers for the temperature and metallicity for the intracluster gas are T = 7.6^{+2.8}_{-1.6} keV and m = 0.22^{+0.24}_{-0.22} Msol, respectively. We find a relatively small total mass, a small gas mass ratio and a small iron mass to light ratio. These numbers together with relatively low luminosity for such an optically rich cluster and the pronounced substructure confirm that CL 0939+4713 is a young cluster still far away from a virialised state. In the same ROSAT/HRI image the X-ray emission of a background quasar (z \approx 2) can clearly be identified. With a luminosity of L \approx 1.4 10^{45} erg/s it belongs to the X-ray brightest quasars. A striking difference between the ROSAT/PSPC and the ROSAT/HRI observations (taken almost five years apart) is the fainting of one X-ray source RXJ0943.0+4701 by at least a factor of ten. We try to identify this source from deep optical data. Our best candidate is a blue compact object, possibly an AGN.

astro-ph↗