HST-Based Lens Model of SDSS J1226+2152, in Preparation for JWST-ERS TEMPLATES

TL;DR

This paper develops a detailed lens model of a high-redshift galaxy lensed by a cluster, preparing for JWST observations to study galaxy formation during cosmic noon.

Contribution

It presents an HST-based strong lensing analysis and a publicly available lens model to support upcoming JWST observations of the lensed galaxy.

Findings

Lens model ready for JWST data interpretation

Source-plane reconstruction of the galaxy

Publicly available lensing outputs

Abstract

The strongly lensed z=2.9233 Lyman break galaxy, SGAS J122651.3+215220, lensed by a cluster at z=0.4358, was first targeted by JWST as part of the JWST-ERS program TEMPLATES: Targeting Extremely Magnified Panchromatic Lensed Arcs and their Extended Star formation. Aiming to combine the exquisite capabilities of JWST with the extreme magnification provided by strong gravitational lensing, these observations will peer into galaxies at cosmic noon and probe the building blocks of star formation. Here, we present an Hubble Space Telescope strong lensing analysis, lens model, source-plane interpretation, and the lensing outputs needed to analyze the JWST observations in the context of the source's intrinsic properties. The lens model outputs are made publicly available to the community through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST) Portal.