Strong Lensing considerations for the LSST observing strategy. (arXiv:1902.05141v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Verma_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Aprajita Verma</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Collett_T/0/1/0/all/0/1">Thomas Collett</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Smith_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">Graham P. Smith</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Collaboration_Strong_Lensing_Science/0/1/0/all/0/1">Strong Lensing Science Collaboration</a>, the <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Group_DESC_Strong_Lensing_Science_Working/0/1/0/all/0/1">DESC Strong Lensing Science Working Group</a>
Strong gravitational lensing enables a wide range of science: probing
cosmography; testing dark matter models; understanding galaxy evolution; and
magnifying the faint, small and distant Universe. However to date exploiting
strong lensing as a tool for these numerous cosmological and astrophysical
applications has been severely hampered by limited sample sized. LSST will
drive studies of strongly lensed galaxies, galaxy groups and galaxy clusters
into the statistical age. Time variable lensing events, e.g. measuring
cosmological time delays from strongly lensed supernovae and quasars, place the
strongest constraints on LSST’s observing strategy and have been considered in
the DESC observing strategy white papers. Here we focus on aspects of `static’
lens discovery that will be affected by the observing strategy. In summary, we
advocate (1) ensuring comparable (sub-arcsecond) seeing in the g-band as in r
and i to facilitate discovery of gravitational lenses, and (2) initially
surveying the entire observable extragalactic sky as rapidly as possible to
enable early science spanning a broad range of static and transient interests.
Strong gravitational lensing enables a wide range of science: probing
cosmography; testing dark matter models; understanding galaxy evolution; and
magnifying the faint, small and distant Universe. However to date exploiting
strong lensing as a tool for these numerous cosmological and astrophysical
applications has been severely hampered by limited sample sized. LSST will
drive studies of strongly lensed galaxies, galaxy groups and galaxy clusters
into the statistical age. Time variable lensing events, e.g. measuring
cosmological time delays from strongly lensed supernovae and quasars, place the
strongest constraints on LSST’s observing strategy and have been considered in
the DESC observing strategy white papers. Here we focus on aspects of `static’
lens discovery that will be affected by the observing strategy. In summary, we
advocate (1) ensuring comparable (sub-arcsecond) seeing in the g-band as in r
and i to facilitate discovery of gravitational lenses, and (2) initially
surveying the entire observable extragalactic sky as rapidly as possible to
enable early science spanning a broad range of static and transient interests.
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