Generalised model-independent characterisation of strong gravitational lenses IV: formalism-intrinsic degeneracies

TL;DR

This paper investigates the local invariance transformations in strong gravitational lensing that leave observable properties unchanged, extending known global degeneracies to a more general, model-independent local context.

Contribution

It introduces a general framework for local invariance transformations in strong lensing, encompassing known global degeneracies within a broader, model-independent formalism.

Findings

Identified local invariance transformations that preserve lensing observables.

Showed that global invariance transformations are special cases of local transformations.

Provided a comprehensive classification of possible invariance transformations.

Abstract

Based on the standard gravitational lensing formalism with its effective, projected lensing potential in a given background cosmology, we investigate under which transformations of the source position and of the deflection angle the observable properties of the multiple images, i.e. the time delay differences, the relative image positions, relative shapes, and magnification ratios, remain invariant. As these observables only constrain local lens properties, we derive general, local invariance transformations in the areas covered by the multiple images. We show that the known global invariance transformations, e.g. the mass sheet transformation or the source position transformation, are contained in our invariance transformations, when they are restricted to the areas covered by the multiple images and when lens-model-based degeneracies are ignored, like the freedom to add or subtract masses in unconstrained regions without multiple images. Hence, we have identified the general class of invariance transformations that can occur, in particular in our model-independent local characterisation of strong gravitational lenses.