HE0435-1223 is a quadruple-lensed quasar and rare Einstein Cross located in the constellation Eridanus[1] at a distance of approximately 2.33 billion light years away from Earth.[2] HE 0435-1223 was discovered in October 2008 by astronomer Patrick Foley during a study and search for gravitational quadruple lenses in deep sky objects.[3]
| HE0435-1223 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) HE0435-1223 (center), as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (Epoch J2000) | |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Right ascension | 04h 38m 14.88s |
| Declination | −12° 17′ 14.6″ |
| Redshift | ~17.71 |
| Distance | 2.33 billion ly |
| Type | Einstein cross |
| See also: Quasar, List of quasars | |
Physical properties
editThe main physical characteristic of HE0435-1223 is the fact that it is divided into four frames by the galaxy WSB2002 0435-1223 G.[4] All images are spaced a maximum of 2.6 arcsecs apart, the brightest image named "A" has an apparent magnitude of 19 while the other three images ("B","C" and "D") have an apparent magnitude of 19.6. The quasar itself is estimated to have an apparent magnitude of 17.71. All these images are pale blue in color. According to measurements in the I band, the galaxy producing the lens would be a giant elliptical galaxy with a diameter of 12 kpc.[5]
In 2006, a research team studied HE0435-1223 with the Hubble Space Telescope, they observed that the brightness of the four images varies in a particular way, if image A varies, image B will vary with a delay compared to image A.
According to scientists, the object producing the lensing may not be a galaxy but a possible unorganized galactic structure which would produce several gravitational lenses that distort HE0435-1223, and this would explain the delay between the magnitudes of each image.[6][7]
Supermassive black hole
editIn 2017, scientists studied the emission lines as well as the inert zone of the quasar using the MMT Observatory. By recombining the emissions from the different images, the team of scientists were able to carry out fairly precise measurements. By studying the microwaves emitted by HE0435-1223, they were able to estimate the speed and temperature of the black hole's accretion disk.[8]
With this data, they were able to estimate the mass of the black hole which sits at the center of the quasar; for this process, they used the relationship between the measurements as well as the mass of the central black hole. Data from the variation of emission fluxes indicate that the central black hole of HE0435-1223 would have a mass of approximately ~10 billion solar masses.[8]
See also
editExternal links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Stellarium Web Online Star Map". stellarium-web.org. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ "Convert Red Shift (z) to Light Year, Astronomical". www.convert-me.com. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ Williams, Liliya L. R.; Foley, Patrick; Farnsworth, Damon; Belter, Jason (2008-10-01). "Lensed Image Angles: New Statistical Evidence for Substructure". The Astrophysical Journal. 685 (2): 725–738. arXiv:0806.2823. Bibcode:2008ApJ...685..725W. doi:10.1086/591227. ISSN 0004-637X.
- ^ "[WSB2002] 0435-1223 G". simbad.cds.unistra.fr. Retrieved 2024-07-22.
- ^ Wisotzki, Lutz; Schechter, Paul L.; Bradt, Hale V.; Heinmueller, Janine; Reimers, Dieter (November 11, 2002). "HE 0435-1223: a wide separation quadruple QSO and gravitational lens". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 395 (1): 17–23. arXiv:astro-ph/0207062. Bibcode:2002A&A...395...17W. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20021213. ISSN 0004-6361.
- ^ Kochanek, C. S.; Morgan, N. D.; Falco, E. E.; McLeod, B. A.; Winn, J. N.; Dembicky, J.; Ketzeback, B. (2006-03-20). "The Time Delays of Gravitational Lens HE 0435–1223: An Early-Type Galaxy with a Rising Rotation Curve*". The Astrophysical Journal. 640 (1): 47. arXiv:astro-ph/0508070. Bibcode:2006ApJ...640...47K. doi:10.1086/499766. ISSN 0004-637X.
- ^ Kochanek, C. S.; Morgan, N. D.; Falco, E. E.; McLeod, B. A.; Winn, J. N.; Dembicky, J.; Ketzeback, B. (2006-03-01). "The Time Delays of Gravitational Lens HE 0435-1223: An Early-Type Galaxy with a Rising Rotation Curve". The Astrophysical Journal. 640 (1): 47–61. arXiv:astro-ph/0508070. Bibcode:2006ApJ...640...47K. doi:10.1086/499766. ISSN 0004-637X.
- ^ a b Motta, V.; Mediavilla, E.; Rojas, K.; Falco, E. E.; Jiménez-Vicente, J.; Muñoz, J. A. (2017-01-23). "Probing the Broad-Line Region and the Accretion Disk in the Lensed Quasars HE 0435-1223, WFI 2033-4723, and HE 2149-2745 Using Gravitational Microlensing". The Astrophysical Journal. 835 (2): 132. arXiv:1703.00400. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/132. ISSN 0004-637X.