Martín Makler
Preparing for Strong Lensing Science with Rubin and Beyond
Galaxy-galaxy Strong Lensing (SL) systems provide useful probes of the mass distribution in the lens, allows one to investigate high redshift objects and to set constraints on cosmological models. In addition, these systems enable tests of modifications of general relativity. The upcoming Vera Rubin Telescope Legacy Survey of Space and Time is expected to uncover on the order of 10,000 strong lenses, tremendously increasing the sample of systems for the above mentioned applications. In addition, it will enable the systematic discovery of strongly lensed transients and variable sources, including supernovae and quasars, which yield precise determinations of the Hubble parameter. Rubin could even discover the first multi-messenger lensing event. As a preparation for this survey, we have created the “Last Stand Before Rubin” (LaStBeRu): a compilation of SL systems, cross matched with photometric and spectroscopic surveys, and generated a database of their images in the current wide-field surveys, yielding thousands of candidate systems. This provides the largest database of ground based images of SL systems with value added information, such as lens and source redshifts, lens velocity dispersions, when available. In this presentation we discuss some analyses that are being carried out by our group with this dataset, including: i) use of the archival information to constrain modified gravity models, ii) classification and tagging of the systems in various categories of lenses and sources, iii) semi-automated lens modeling of selected systems, yielding the largest homogeneous sample of SL models, iv) follow-up spectroscopic observations of selected systems, v) predictions for time-delays of multiple images, creating a look-up table for lensed transients. These results contribute to the state-of-the-art of the field and prepare for the upcoming Rubin data.
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Preparing for Strong Lensing Science with Rubin and Beyond
