The 2dF Gravitational Lens Survey

Daniel J. Mortlock, Darren S. Madgwick and Ofer Lahav

Abstract

Received 2001 January 21, accepted 2001 March 7

The 2 degree Field (2dF) galaxy redshift survey will involve obtaining spectra of approximately 2.5 10⁵ objects which have previously been identified as galaxy candidates on morphological grounds. Included in these spectra should be about ten gravitationally-lensed quasars, all with low-redshift galaxies as deflectors (as the more common lenses with high-redshift deflectors will be rejected from the survey as multiple point-sources). The lenses will appear as superpositions of galaxy and quasar spectra, and either cross-correlation techniques or principal components analysis should be able to identify candidates systematically. With the 2dF survey approximately half-completed it is now viable to begin a methodical search for these spectroscopic lenses, and the first steps of this project are described here.

Keywords: surveys — gravitational lensing — methods: data analysis

Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 18(2) 192 - 194 (2001) doi:10.1071/AS01021