Statistics of Quasars Multiply Imaged by Galaxy Clusters

Abstract

We compute the expected number of quasars multiply imaged by cluster size dark halos for current wide field quasar surveys by carrying out a large ensemble of ray tracing simulations through clusters from a cosmological N-body simulation of the LCDM cosmology. Our calculation predicts ~ 4 quasar lenses with splittings theta > 10" in the SDSS spectroscopic quasar sample, consistent with the recent discovery of the wide separation lens SDSSJ1004+4112 which has theta=14.6". The SDSS faint photometric quasar survey will contain ~12 multiply imaged quasars with splittings theta > 10". Of these, ~ 2 will be lenses with separations theta > 30", and ~ 2 will be at high redshift (z ~ 4).

6 pages, 3 Figures, submitted to ApJ