COOL-LAMPS. V. Discovery of COOL J0335$-$1927, a Gravitationally Lensed Quasar at $z$=3.27 with an Image Separation of 23.3"

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of COOL J0335-1927, a high-redshift, wide-separation gravitationally lensed quasar with detailed lens modeling and variability analysis, marking it as the highest redshift such system known.

Contribution

It presents the discovery and detailed analysis of the highest redshift wide-separation lensed quasar, including lens modeling and variability data for future time delay measurements.

Findings

Discovered a z=3.27 lensed quasar with 23.3" separation.

Constructed a parametric lens model constrained by multiple images.

Observed quasar variability consistent with predicted time delays.

Abstract

We report the discovery of COOL J0335$-$1927, a quasar at z = 3.27 lensed into three images with a maximum separation of 23.3" by a galaxy cluster at z = 0.4178. To date this is the highest redshift wide-separation lensed quasar known. In addition, COOL J0335$-$1927 shows several strong intervening absorbers visible in the spectra of all three quasar images with varying equivalent width. The quasar also shows mini-broad line absorption. We construct a parametric strong gravitational lens model using ground-based imaging, constrained by the redshift and positions of the quasar images as well as the positions of three other multiply-imaged background galaxies. Using our best-fit lens model, we calculate the predicted time delays between the three quasar images to be $\Delta$t$_{AB}=$ $499^{+141}_{-146}$ (stat) and $\Delta$t$_{AC}=$ $-127^{+83}_{-17}$ (stat) days. Folding in systematic uncertainties, the model-predicted time delays are within the ranges $240 < \Delta$t$_{AB} < 700$ and $-300 < \Delta$ t$_{AC} <-30$. We also present g-band photometry from archival DECaLS and Pan-STARRS imaging, and new multi-epoch observations obtained between September 18, 2022 UT and February 22, 2023 UT, which demonstrate significant variability in the quasar and which will eventually enable a measurement of the time delay between the three quasar images. The currently available light curves are consistent with the model-predicted time delays. This is the fifth paper from the COOL-LAMPS collaboration.