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The central image of a gravitationally lensed quasar

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua N. Winn

    (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)

  • David Rusin

    (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
    University of Pennsylvania)

  • Christopher S. Kochanek

    (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
    The Ohio State University)

Abstract

A galaxy can act as a gravitational lens, producing multiple images of a background object. Theory predicts that there should be an odd number of images produced by the lens1,2, but hitherto almost all lensed objects have two or four images. The missing ‘central’ images, which should be faint and appear near the centre of the lensing galaxy, have long been sought as probes of galactic cores too distant to resolve with ordinary observations3,4,5,6,7. There are five candidates for central images, but in one case the third image is not necessarily the central one8,9,10, and in the others the putative central images might be foreground sources11,12,13,14,15. Here we report a secure identification of a central image, based on radio observations of one of the candidates14. Lens models using the central image reveal that the massive black hole at the centre of the lensing galaxy has a mass of

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua N. Winn & David Rusin & Christopher S. Kochanek, 2004. "The central image of a gravitationally lensed quasar," Nature, Nature, vol. 427(6975), pages 613-615, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:427:y:2004:i:6975:d:10.1038_nature02279
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02279
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