arXiv subjects

Vyacheslav N. Shalyapin

Publications and source records attributed to Vyacheslav N. Shalyapin.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

Spectroscopy of lensing galaxies in the GTC era

We are using OSIRIS at the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) to obtain spectra of faint galaxies close to multiply imaged quasars. We initially focused on the fields of HE 1413+117 (Cloverleaf quasar) and SDSS 1116+4118. In this contribution, we present long-slit spectroscopy of two galaxies in the southwest of the Cloverleaf, and show that one of them makes a negligible contribution to the external shear of the gravitational lens system. Spectra of the main lensing galaxy candidate in SDSS 1116+4118 are also analysed and discused. If gravitational lensing is causing the quasar image splitting, our spectra reveal that the main lens can not consist of only one dominant galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Time-domain studies of gravitationally lensed quasars (GLQs)

We present the overview and current results of an ongoing optical/NIR monitoring of seven GLQs with the 2-m Liverpool Robotic Telescope. The photometric data over the first seven years of this programme (2005-2011) are leading to high-quality light curves, which in turn are being used as key tools for different standard and novel studies. While brightness records of non-lensed distant quasars may contain unrecognized extrinsic variations, one can disentangle intrinsic from extrinsic signal in certain GLQs. Thus, some GLQs in our sample allow us to assess their extrinsic and intrinsic variations, as well as to discuss the origin of both kinds of fluctuations. We also demonstrate the usefulness of GLQ time-domain data to obtain successful reverberation maps of inner regions of accretion disks around distant supermassive black holes, and to estimate redshifts of distant lensing galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2011

Accretion Onto the Supermassive Black Hole in the High-redshift Radio-loud AGN 0957+561

We present the results of our X-ray, UV and optical monitoring campaign of the first gravitationally lensed AGN from late 2009 to mid 2010. The trailing (B) image of the AGN 0957+561 shows the intrinsic continuum variations that were predicted in advance based on observations of the leading (A) image in the gr optical bands. This multiwavelength variability of the B image allows us to carry out a reverberation mapping analysis in the radio-loud AGN 0957+561 at redshift z = 1.41. We find that the U-band and r-band light curves are highly correlated with the g-band record, leading and trailing it by 3 +/- 1 days (U band) and 4 +/- 1 days (r band). These 1-sigma measurements are consistent with a scenario in which flares originated in the immediate vicinity of the supermassive black hole are thermally reprocessed in a standard accretion disk at about 10-20 Schwarzschild radii from the central dark object. We also report that the light curve for the X-ray emission with power-law spectrum is delayed with respect to those in the Ugr bands by about 32 days. Hence, the central driving source can not be a standard corona emitting the observed power-law X-rays. This result is also supported by X-ray reprocessing simulations and the absence of X-ray reflection features in the spectrum of 0957+561. We plausibly interpret the lack of reflection and the 32-day delay as evidence for a power-law X-ray source in the base of the jet at a typical height of about 200 Schwarzschild radii. A central EUV source would drive the variability of 0957+561.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2011

Gravitationally lensed QSOs in the ISSIS/WSO-UV era

Gravitationally lensed QSOs (GLQs) at redshift z = 1-2 play a key role in understanding the cosmic evolution of the innermost parts of active galaxies (black holes, accretion disks, coronas and internal jets), as well as the structure of galaxies at intermediate redshifts. With respect to studies of normal QSOs, GLQ programmes have several advantages. For example, a monitoring of GLQs may lead to unambiguous detections of intrinsic and extrinsic variations. Both kinds of variations can be used to discuss central engines in distant QSOs, and mass distributions and compositions of lensing galaxies. In this context, UV data are of particular interest, since they correspond to emissions from the immediate surroundings of the supermassive black hole. We describe some observation strategies to analyse optically bright GLQs at z of about 1.5, using ISSIS (CfS) on board World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2009

Time Delays in the Gravitationally Lensed Quasar H1413+117 (Cloverleaf)

The quadruple quasar H1413+117 (z_s = 2.56) has been monitored with the 2.0 m Liverpool Telescope in the r Sloan band from 2008 February to July. This optical follow-up leads to accurate light curves of the four quasar images (A-D), which are defined by 33 epochs of observation and an average photometric error of \sim 15 mmag. We then use the observed (intrinsic) variations of \sim 50-100 mmag to measure the three time delays for the lens system for the first time (1σconfidence intervals): Δτ_{AB} = -17 +/- 3, Δτ_{AC} = -20 +/- 4, and Δτ_{AD} = 23 +/- 4 days (Δτ_{ij} = τ_j - τ_i; B and C are leading, while D is trailing). Although time delays for lens systems are often used to obtain the Hubble constant (H_0), the unavailability of the spectroscopic lens redshift (z_l) in the system H1413+117 prevents a determination of H_0 from the measured delays. In this paper, the new time delay constraints and a concordance expansion rate (H_0 = 70 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}) allow us to improve the lens model and to estimate the previously unknown z_l. Our 1σestimate z_l = 1.88^{+0.09}_{-0.11} is an example of how to infer the redshift of very distant galaxies via gravitational lensing.

astro-ph.CO↗