Observational mission - NTT-EFOSC2 - ESO/Chile

• Grant number: 19/01185-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: April 05, 2019
• End date: April 10, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Extragalactic Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Ramachrisna Teixeira
• Grantee: Ramachrisna Teixeira
• Host Investigator: Christine Ducourant
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: European Southern Observatory, Santiago (ESO), Chile

Abstract

In April 2018 the European Spatial Agency (ESA) and the Gaia Data Processing Analysis Consortium (DPAC), published the second Gaia Data Release (GDR2) with the complete astrometry and Gaia photometry for plus than one billion objects, among them 550 thousands known quasars. These data were obtained after 22 months of observations performed by the satellite since July 2014. Aiming to explorer these data, 4 years ago we created a group, Gaia Gravitational Lensing, with 10-12 researchers from various countries, with the main goal to discovery new strong gravitational lenses and to build an all sky survey of gravitational lenses with an unprecedent resolution (180 mas). With this survey we intend to contribute significantly with studies in dark matter, galaxies evolution and cosmology. The first step of this effort was the compilation of a list of candidates based on the Gaia astrometry and photometry, list of known quasars and simulations of configurations. Through spectroscopic observations on Keck/LRIS we could confirm the nature of 7/15 new gravitational lenses with quadruple images. At the southern hemisphere we were granted observing time with Gemini (queue mode) and NTT telescopes (visitor mode) in which we expect confirm the nature of other candidates with four images, increasing significantly the number of the known gravitational lens. It is precisely to make these observations that I am requesting funds at this moment.