| Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 30, 2008
Spanish Relativity Meeting - Encuentros Relativistas Españoles , ERE2007: Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology
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|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 51 - 68 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas:0830005 | |
| Published online | 30 September 2008 | |
A. Oscoz, E. Mediavilla and M. Serra-Ricart (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 30 (2008) 51-68
Time delays in cosmology with gravitational lenses
F.L. Whipple Observatory, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 6369, Amado, AZ 85645, USA
Gravitational lenses yield a very high rate of return on observational investment. Given their scarcity, their impact on our knowledge of the universe is very significant. In the weak-field limit, lensing studies are based on well-established physics and thus offer a straightforward approach to pursue many currently pressing problems of astrophysics and cosmology. Examples of these are the significance of dark matter and the density, age and size of the universe. I present recent developments in cosmological applications of gravitational lenses, focusing on estimates of the Hubble constant using strong lensing of quasars. I describe our recent measurements of time delays for the images of SDSS J1004+4112, and discuss prospects for the future utilizing synoptic telescopes, planned and under construction.
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2008