A Rigorous Free-form Lens Model of Abell 2744 to Meet the Hubble Frontier Fields Challenge

Understand

Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) imaging of the most powerful lensing clusters provides access to the most magnified distant galaxies.

• The challenge is to construct lens models capable of describing these complex massive, merging clusters so that individual lensed systems can be reliably identified and their intrinsic properties accurately derived.
• We apply the free-form lensing method (WSLAP+) to A2744, providing a model independent map of the cluster mass, magnification, and geometric distance estimates to multiply-lensed sources.
• We solve simultaneously for a smooth cluster component on a pixel grid, together with local deflections by the cluster member galaxies.