Multiple images of a highly magnified supernova formed by an early-type cluster galaxy lens

Journal
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Kelly, Patrick L.
•
Rodney, Steven A.
•
Treu, Tommaso
•
Foley, Ryan J.
•
Brammer, Gabriel
•
Schmidt, Kasper B.
•
Zitrin, Adi
•
Sonnenfeld, Alessandro
•
Strolger, Louis-Gregory
•
Graur, Or
•
Filippenko, Alexei V.
•
Jha, Saurabh W.
•
Riess, Adam G.
•
Bradac, Marusa
•
Weiner, Benjamin J.
•
Scolnic, Daniel
•
Malkan, Matthew A.
•
von der Linden, Anja
•
Trenti, Michele
•
Hjorth, Jens
•
Gavazzi, Raphael
•
•
Merten, Julian C.
•
McCully, Curtis
•
Jones, Tucker
•
Postman, Marc
•
Dressler, Alan
•
Patel, Brandon
•
Cenko, S. Bradley
•
Graham, Melissa L.
•
Tucker, Bradley E.
DOI
Abstract
In 1964, Refsdal hypothesized that a supernova whose light traversed multiple paths around a strong gravitational lens could be used to measure the rate of cosmic expansion. We report the discovery of such a system. In Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we have found four images of a single supernova forming an Einstein cross configuration around a redshift z = 0.54 elliptical galaxy in the MACS J1149.6+2223 cluster. The cluster’s gravitational potential also creates multiple images of the z = 1.49 spiral supernova host galaxy, and a future appearance of the supernova elsewhere in the cluster field is expected. The magnifications and staggered arrivals of the supernova images probe the cosmic expansion rate, as well as the distribution of matter in the galaxy and cluster lenses.
Volume
347
Issue
6226
Start page
1123
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0036-8075
Ads BibCode
2015Sci...347.1123K
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restricted
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