Searching for Strongly-Lensed Quasars in the SDSS
Bart Pindor
Princeton University
4:15-5:15 Tuesday
March 18,
2003
Abstract
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey offers an opportunity to substantially
increase the known sample of gravitationally-lensed quasars. A
well-defined sample is of interest both for studies of lens statistics as
well as a source of objects for individual study. I will talk about an
algorithm for selecting gravitational lens candidates from amongst SDSS
quasars. I will also talk about how to measure the selection function of
this selection algorithm through the use of simulated SDSS images and will
illustrate selection effects in the SDSS quasar sample through the example
of high redshift lenses. Finally, I will describe how applying this
algorithm to a sample of 5120 z > 0.6 SDSS quasars implies an observed
lensing fraction of not more than 4 x 10-3 and not less than 3 x 10-5 (95%
confidence levels).