Gravitational Lens Light Curves, Surveys and Simulations

特纳引力透镜是研究宇宙学和天体物理学基本问题的工具。项目将从三个方面进行研究：首先，将使用一个具有远程观测能力的新型3.5米望远镜来监测候选透镜和已知透镜中图像的亮度。光曲线将用于测量哈勃常数的值，测试有争议系统的透镜假设，并检测微透镜事件，这对暗物质的本质和类星体的非常小的尺度结构有影响。其次，在斯隆数字巡天数据集中发现的新候选透镜的观测将使一个大型（几百个）控制良好的统计样本的组装成为可能，从而可以测量基本的宇宙学参数。第三，将采用先进的宇宙模拟和数值透镜代码来预测星系和大尺度结构形成和演化的各种场景的透镜后果。这些预测将与观测结果进行比较，以检验这些理论。

ABSTRACT AST 94-19400 Turner, Edwin Gravitational lensing is a tool for studying fundamental problems in cosmology and astrophysics. Three aspects will be studied: First, a new 3.5 meter telescope with remote observing capabilities will be used to monitor the brightness of images in candidate and known lenses. The light curves will be used to measure the value of the Hubble constant, test the lens hypothesis for controversial systems, and detect microlensing events, which have implications about the nature of dark matter and the very small scale structure of quasars. Second, observations of new candidate lenses to be identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data sets will enable the assembly of a large (several hundred) well controlled statistical sample, thus allowing measures of fundamental cosmological parameters. Third, advanced cosmic simulation and numerical lensing codes will be employed to predict the lensing consequences of various scenarios for the formation and evolution of galaxies and large scale structure. These predictions will be compared to observations to test the theories.