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The discovery of a five-image lensed quasar at z = 3.34 using PanSTARRS1 and Gaia

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Ostrovski, F 
Lemon, CA 
Auger, MW 
McMahon, RG 
Fassnacht, CD 

Abstract

We report the discovery, spectroscopic confirmation, and mass modelling of the gravitationally lensed quasar system PS J0630-1201. The lens was discovered by matching a photometric quasar catalogue compiled from Pan-STARRS and WISE photometry to the Gaia DR1 catalogue, exploiting the high spatial resolution of the latter (FWHM $\sim $0.1") to identify the three brightest components of the lens. Follow-up spectroscopic observations with the WHT confirm the multiple objects are quasars at redshift zq=3.34. Further follow-up with Keck AO high-resolution imaging reveals that the system is composed of two lensing galaxies and the quasar is lensed into a $\sim$2.8" separation four-image cusp configuration with a fifth image clearly visible, and a 1.0" arc due to the lensed quasar host galaxy. The system is well-modelled with two singular isothermal ellipsoids, reproducing the position of the fifth image. We discuss future prospects for measuring time delays between the images and constraining any offset between mass and light using the faintly detected Einstein arcs associated with the quasar host galaxy.

Description

Keywords

gravitational lensing: strong, methods: observational, methods: statistical, quasars: general

Journal Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1745-3925
1745-3933

Volume Title

473

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/N000927/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (1638336)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/K004182/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/N001702/1)