{
  "id": "1511.03662",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2015-11-11T21:00:01.000Z",
  "updated": "2015-11-11T21:00:01.000Z",
  "title": "The mass-sheet degeneracy and time-delay cosmography: Analysis of the strong lens RXJ1131-1231",
  "authors": [
    "Simon Birrer",
    "Adam Amara",
    "Alexandre Refregier"
  ],
  "comment": "15 pages, 12 figures, to be submitted to PRD. Comments welcome",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.CO"
  ],
  "abstract": "We present extended modeling of the strong lens system RXJ1131-1231 with archival data in two HST bands in combination with existing line-of-sight contribution and velocity dispersion estimates. We focus on the accuracy and reliability of the source reconstruction scale and lens model assumptions and its implication on time-delay cosmography. We map out the mass-sheet degeneracy and especially the degeneracy pointed out by Schneider and Sluse (2013) using the source reconstruction scale. In a second step, we fold in velocity dispersion and external convergence measurements. We then infer angular diameter distance relations for the time-delays without cosmological priors. For a flat $\\Lambda$CDM cosmology, these constraints lead to constraints of the Hubble constant $H_0$ as a function of the matter density $\\Omega_m$ in the form of $H_0 = H_0^*/[1 + 0.5(\\Omega_m-\\Omega_m^*)] \\pm 5\\%$ with $H_0^*= 71.7^{+3.6}_{-3.6}$ km s$^{-1}$Mpc$^{-1}$ being the value for $H_0$ at $\\Omega_m^*=0.3$. This is a significant improvement in the uncertainty of the lens modeling and is consistent with recent CMB measurements. We describe the full cosmological information of the lens system RXJ1131-1231 data in an analytic form such that this information can be combined with other cosmological probes.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2015-11-11T21:00:01.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "time-delay cosmography",
      "strong lens",
      "mass-sheet degeneracy",
      "source reconstruction scale",
      "infer angular diameter distance relations"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 15,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "adsabs": "2015arXiv151103662B",
      "inspire": 1404121
    }
  }
}