X-Ray and Optical Flux Ratio Anomalies in Quadruply Lensed Quasars. II. Mapping the Dark Matter Content in Elliptical Galaxies

We present a microlensing analysis of 61 Chandra observations of 14 quadruply lensed quasars. X-ray flux measurements of the individual quasar images give a clean determination of the microlensing effects in the lensing galaxy and thus offer a direct assessment of the local fraction of stellar matte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astrophysical journal. Letters 2012-01, Vol.744 (2), p.111-13
Main Authors: Pooley, David, Rappaport, Saul, Blackburne, Jeffrey A, Schechter, Paul L, Wambsganss, Joachim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assessments
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
Dark matter
Flux
GALAXIES
Glass transition temperature
Impact analysis
IMPACT PARAMETER
Line of sight
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
QUASARS
X-rays
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Summary:We present a microlensing analysis of 61 Chandra observations of 14 quadruply lensed quasars. X-ray flux measurements of the individual quasar images give a clean determination of the microlensing effects in the lensing galaxy and thus offer a direct assessment of the local fraction of stellar matter making up the total integrated mass along the lines of sight through the lensing galaxy. A Bayesian analysis of the ensemble of lensing galaxies gives a most likely local stellar fraction of 7%, with the other 93% in a smooth, dark matter component, at a mean impact parameter R sub(c) of 6.6 kpc from the center of the lensing galaxy. We divide the systems into smaller ensembles based on R sub(c) and find that the most likely local stellar fraction varies qualitatively and quantitatively as expected, decreasing as a function of R sub(c).
ISSN:0004-637X
2041-8205
1538-4357
2041-8213
DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/111