Related papers: Detecting and interpreting statistical lensing by …

The steep source counts and negative K-corrections of bright submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) suggest that a significant fraction of those observed at high flux densities may be gravitationally lensed, and that the lensing objects may often…

The probability of strong gravitational lensing of distant compact objects by transparent lenses with King mass distributions is calculated. Examples of such lenses are globular clusters, dwarf galaxies, and clusters of hidden mass. The…

We present the results of photoionization modeling of nine weak MgII (W_r<0.3 Ang) quasar absorption line systems with redshifts 1.4<z<2.4 obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope. These…

Spectroscopy of ten quasars obtained with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is presented. A clustering analysis reveals an excess of nearest neighbor line pairs on velocity scales of 250-750…

We present Keck/LRIS spectroscopy of seven isolated galaxy-quasar pairs at $0.4 \leq z \leq 0.6$, each exhibiting ultra-strong MgII absorption ($W_{r,2796} \geq 3$ {\AA}), probing both down-the-barrel and transverse gas flows.…

H band observations with a spatial resolution of 0.15" carried out with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope adaptive optics system show a galaxy between the components of the double BAL quasar SBS 1520+530, thereby confirming this system as…

We discuss issues concerning the physical nature of intervening MgII quasar absorption systems in light of results from our recent surveys using SDSS EDR QSO spectra and data obtained at the MMT. These surveys indicate an excess of weak…

We use a series of ray-tracing experiments to determine the magnification distribution of high-redshift sources by gravitational lensing. We determine empirically the relation between magnification and redshift, for various cosmological…

We present an empirical connection between cold gas in galactic halos and star formation. Using a sample of more than 8,500 MgII absorbers from SDSS quasar spectra, we report the detection of a 15 sigma correlation between the rest…

Cadenced optical imaging surveys in the next decade will be capable of detecting time-varying galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses in large numbers, increasing the size of the statistically well-defined samples of multiply-imaged…

Strong gravitational lensing gives access to the total mass distribution of galaxies. It can unveil a great deal of information about the lenses dark matter content when combined with the study of the lenses light profile. However,…

The past decades have witnessed a lot of progress in gravitational lensing with two main targets: stars and galaxies (with active galactic nuclei). The success is partially attributed to the continuous luminescence of these sources making…

Strong lensing gravitational time delays are a powerful and cost effective probe of dark energy. Recent studies have shown that a single lens can provide a distance measurement with 6-7 % accuracy (including random and systematic…

We compute statistical properties of weak gravitational lensing by large-scale structure in three Cold Dark Matter models. We use a P$^3$M $N$-body code to simulate the formation and evolution of large-scale structure in the universe. We…

Gravitational lensing is a powerful tool for studying the distribution of mass in the Universe. Understanding the magnification bias effect in gravitational lensing and its impact on the flux of sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) is crucial for…

We present abundance measurements for two super Lyman Limit systems (SLLS; quasar absorption line systems with 10^19 cm^-2 < N_HI < 10^20.3 cm^-2) selected from a set of metal-strong absorbers in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar…

We examine the relationship between galaxies and the intergalactic medium at z < 1 using a group of three closely spaced background QSOs with z_em ~1 observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. Using a new grouping algorithm, we identify…

When gravitational waves pass through the nuclear star clusters of galactic lenses, they may be microlensed by the stars. Such microlensing can cause potentially observable beating patterns on the waveform due to waveform superposition and…

We have identified galaxies near two quasars which are at the redshift of damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) systems in the UV spectra of the quasars. Both galaxies are actively forming stars. One galaxy has a luminosity close to the break in the…

The cosmic chemical enrichment as measured from damped Ly$\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) will be underestimated if dusty and metal-rich absorbers have evaded identification. Here we report the discovery and present the spectroscopic observations…