Strong-lensing optical depths in a ΛCDM universe – II. The influence of the stellar mass in galaxies

We investigate how strong gravitational lensing in the concordance ΛCDM cosmology is affected by the stellar mass in galaxies. We extend our previous studies, based on ray tracing through the Millennium Simulation, by including the stellar components predicted by galaxy formation models. We find that the inclusion of these components greatly enhances the probability for strong lensing compared to a 'dark matter only' universe. The identification of the 'lenses' associated with strong-lensing events reveals that the stellar mass of galaxies (i) significantly enhances the strong-lensing cross-sections of group and cluster haloes and (ii) gives rise to strong lensing in smaller haloes, which would not produce noticeable effects in the absence of the stars. Even if we consider only image splittings ≳10 arcsec, the luminous matter can enhance the strong-lensing optical depths by up to a factor of 2.     

The Hubble constant from galaxy lenses: impacts of triaxiality and model degeneracies

The Hubble constant can be constrained using the time delays between multiple images of gravitationally lensed sources. In some notable cases, typical lensing analyses assuming isothermal galaxy density profiles produce low values for the Hubble constant, inconsistent with the result of the HST Key Project  (72 ± 8 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹)  . Possible systematics in the values of the Hubble constant derived from galaxy lensing systems can result from a number of factors, for example, neglect of environmental effects, assumption of isothermality, or contamination by line-of-sight structures. One additional potentially important factor is the triaxial structure of the lensing galaxy halo; most lens models account for halo shape simply by perturbing the projected spherical lensing potential, an approximation that is often necessary but that is inadequate at the levels of triaxiality predicted in the cold dark matter paradigm. To quantify the potential error introduced by this assumption in estimates of the Hubble parameter, we strongly lens a distant galaxy through a sample of triaxial softened isothermal haloes and use an Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to constrain the lensing halo profile and the Hubble parameter from the resulting multiple image systems. We explore the major degeneracies between the Hubble parameter and several parameters of the lensing model, finding that without a way to accurately break these degeneracies accurate estimates of the Hubble parameter are not possible. Crucially, we find that triaxiality does not significantly bias estimates of the Hubble constant, and offer an analytic explanation for this behaviour in the case of isothermal profiles. Neglected triaxial halo shape cannot contribute to the low Hubble constant values derived in a number of galaxy lens systems.     

Gravitational wave emission from a companion black hole in the presence of an accretion disc around a super-massive Kerr black hole

Gravitational wave signal characteristics from a binary black hole system in which the companion moves through the accretion disc of the primary are studied. We chose the primary to be a super-massive  ( M = 10⁸ M_⊙)  Kerr black hole and the companion to be a massive black hole  ( M = 10⁵ M_⊙)  to clearly demonstrate the effects. We show that the drag exerted on the companion by the disc is sufficient to reduce the coalescence time of the binary. The drag is primarily due to the fact that the accretion disc on a black hole deviates from a Keplerian disc and becomes sub-Keplerian due to inner boundary condition on the black hole horizon. We consider two types of accretion rates on to the companion. The companion is deeply immersed inside the disc and it can accrete at the Bondi rate which depends on the instantaneous density of the disc. However, an accretion disc can also form around the smaller black hole and it can accrete at its Eddington rate. Thus, this case is also studied and the results are compared. We find that the effect of the disc will be significant in reducing the coalescence time and one needs to incorporate this while interpreting gravitational wave signals emitted from such a binary system.     

重力资料圈定地质构造边界方法的初步探讨

依据理论模型实验的方法,讨论了利用重力资料圈定地质构造边界方法的应用效果,分析了重力场垂向二阶导数、水平总梯度模极值、重力等值线梯度带、重力垂向一阶导数等方法在圈定地质构造边界方面的优缺点,为区域重力资料地质解释提供较为有效的依据.     

Data analysis of continuous gravitational wave: Fourier transform – I

We present the Fourier Transform of a continuous gravitational wave. We have analysed the data set for a 1-d observation time and our analysis is applicable for an arbitrary location of detector and source. We have taken into account the effects arising due to the rotational as well as orbital motions of the Earth.     

油气田中油气的分异作用——以塔里木盆地牙哈凝析油气田为例

塔里木盆地牙哈油气田是我国迄今发现的最大的凝析油气田,由12个油气藏组成,油气分布具有“西油东气”、“上气下油”、“上轻下重”的特征,这种特征的形成,是油气自西北分两个高峰期注入和在重力作用下分异的结果,呈现了“中部注入的正向差异聚集”的模式。这种模式与Gussow和Schowalter所建立的模式在形成机制或油气分布方面有所不同。     

QSO lensing magnification associated with galaxy groups

We simulated both the matter and light (galaxy) distributions in a wedge of the Universe and calculated the gravitational lensing magnification caused by the mass along the line-of-sight of galaxies and galaxy groups identified in sky surveys. A large volume redshift cone containing cold dark matter particles mimics the expected cosmological matter distribution in a flat universe with low matter density and a cosmological constant. We generate a mock galaxy catalogue from the matter distribution and identify thousands of galaxy groups in the luminous sky projection. We calculate the expected magnification around galaxies and galaxy groups and then the induced quasi-stellar object (QSO)–lens angular correlation due to magnification bias. This correlation is observable and can be used both to estimate the average mass of the lens population and to make cosmological inferences. We also use analytical calculations and various analyses to compare the observational results with theoretical expectations for the cross-correlation between faint QSOs from the 2dF Survey and nearby galaxies and groups from the Automated Plate Measurement and Sloan Digital Sky Survey Early Data Release. The observed QSO–lens anticorrelations are stronger than the predictions for the cosmological model used. This suggests that there could be unknown systematic errors in the observations and data reduction, or that the model used is not adequate. If the observed signal is assumed to be solely due to gravitational lensing, then the lensing is stronger than expected, due to more massive galactic structures or more efficient lensing than simulated.     

Search for gravitational lenses near the extragalactic double object CSL-1

We consider additional arguments in favor of the first observable cosmic string. We discuss candidates for gravitational lensing events near the extragalactic double source CSL-1 (Capodimonte-Sternberg-Lens Candidate no. 1) discovered in the Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte Deep Field (OACDF). The detected excess of candidates for such events cannot be explained in terms of the theory of gravitational lensing by standard extragalactic objects (galaxies, groups of galaxies, etc.) and is in close agreement with the proposed model of gravitational lensing by a cosmic string.     

IRAM observations of JVAS/CLASS gravitational lenses

We have searched for molecular absorption lines at millimetre wavelengths in 11 gravitational lens systems discovered in the JVAS/CLASS surveys of flat spectrum radio sources. Spectra of only one source 1030+074 were obtained in the 3-, 2- and 1.3-mm bands at the frequencies corresponding to common molecular transitions of CO and HCO⁺ as continuum emission was not found in any of the other sources. We calculated upper limits to the column density in molecular absorption for 1030+074, using an excitation temperature of 15 K, to be N _CO<6.3×10¹³ cm⁻² and N _HCO+<1.3×10¹¹ cm⁻² , equivalent to hydrogen column density of the order N _H<10¹⁸ cm⁻² , assuming standard molecular abundances. We also present the best upper limits of the continuum at the lower frequency for the other 10 gravitational lenses.