We report the discovery of 24 Lyman-break candidates at 7<z<10.5, in the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) imaging data of Abell 2744 (z=0.308), plus Spiter/IRAC data and archival ACS data. The sample includes a triple image system with a photometric redshift of z~7.4. This high redshift is geometrically confirmed by our lens model corresponding to deflection angles that are 12% larger than the lower-redshift systems used to calibrate the lens model at z=2.019. The majority of our high-redshift candidates are not expected to be multiply lensed given their locations in the image plane and the brightness of foreground galaxies, but are magnified by factors of ~1.3-15, so that we are seeing further down the luminosity function than comparable deep field imaging. It is apparent that the redshift distribution of these sources does not smoothly extend over the full redshift range accessible at z<12, but appears to break above z=9. Nine candidates are clustered within a small region of 20" across, representing a potentially unprecedented concentration. Given the poor statistics, however, we must await similar constraints from the additional HFF clusters to properly examine this trend. The physical properties of our candidates are examined using the range of lens models developed for the HFF program by various groups including our own, for a better estimate of underlying systematics. Our spectral-energy-distribution fits for the brightest objects suggest stellar masses of ~1E9 solar mass, star-formation rates of ~4 solar mass per yr, and a typical formation redshift of z<19.
The ultra-deep multiwavelength HST Frontier Fields coverage of the Abell Cluster 2744 is used to derive the stellar population properties of its intra-cluster light (ICL). The restframe colors of the ICL of this intermediate redshift (z=0.3064) massive cluster are bluer (g-r=0.68+-0.04; i-J=0.56+-0.01) than those found in the stellar populations of its main galaxy members (g-r=0.83+-0.01; i-J=0.75+-0.01). Based on these colors, we derive the following mean metallicity Z=0.018+-0.007 for the ICL. The ICL age is 6+-3 Gyr younger than the average age of the most massive galaxies of the cluster. T…
We have observed two of the six Frontier Fields galaxy clusters, MACS J0416.1-2403 and Abell 2744, using the Gemini Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) and the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI). With 0.08"-0.10" FWHM our data are nearly diffraction-limited over a 100"x100" wide area. GeMS/GSAOI complements the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) redwards of 1.6microns with twice the angular resolution. We reach a 5 sigma depth of Ks = 25.6 mag (AB) for compact sources. In this paper we describe the observations, the data processing and the initial public data release. We provide f…
We present the first observations of the Frontier Fields Cluster Abell S1063 taken with the newly commissioned Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral field spectrograph. Because of the relatively large field of view (1 arcmin^2), MUSE is ideal to simultaneously target multiple galaxies in blank and cluster fields over the full optical spectrum. We analysed the four hours of data obtained in the Science Verification phase on this cluster and measured redshifts for 53 galaxies. We confirm the redshift of five cluster galaxies, and determine the redshift of 29 other cluster members. Be…
The deflection angles of lensed sources increase with their distance behind a given lens. We utilize this geometric effect to corroborate the $z_{phot}\simeq9.8$ photometric redshift estimate of a faint near-IR dropout, triply-imaged by the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2744 in deep Hubble Frontier Fields images. The multiple images of this source follow the same symmetry as other nearby sets of multiple images which bracket the critical curves and have well defined redshifts (up to $z_{spec}\simeq3.6$), but with larger deflection angles, indicating that this source must lie at a higher redshif…
We study the dynamics of Abell 370 (A370), a highly massive Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster, using self-consistent three-dimensional N-body/hydrodynamical simulations. Our simulations are constrained by X-ray, optical spectroscopic and gravitational lensing, and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect observations. Analyzing archival Chandra observations of A370 and comparing the X-ray morphology to the latest gravitational lensing mass reconstruction, we find offsets of ~30 kpc and ~100 kpc between the two X-ray surface brightness peaks and their nearest mass surface density peaks, suggesting th…
We present an updated strong-lensing analysis of the massive cluster Abell 370 (A370), continuing the work first presented in Lagattuta et al. (2017). In this new analysis, we take advantage of the deeper imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Frontier Fields program, as well as a large spectroscopic mosaic obtained with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). Thanks to the extended coverage of this mosaic, we probe the full 3D distribution of galaxies in the field, giving us a unique picture of the extended structure of the cluster and its surroundings. Our final catalog con…
We present a strong and weak lensing reconstruction of the massive cluster Abell 2744, the first cluster for which deep Hubble Frontier Field (HFF) images and spectroscopy from the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) are available. By performing a targeted search for emission lines in multiply imaged sources using the GLASS spectra, we obtain 5 high-confidence spectroscopic redshifts and 2 tentative ones. We confirm 1 strongly lensed system by detecting the same emission lines in all 3 multiple images. We also search for additional line emitters blindly and use the full GLASS spectr…
Cluster mergers leave distinct signatures in the ICM in the form of shocks and diffuse cluster radio sources that provide evidence for the acceleration of relativistic particles. However, the physics of particle acceleration in the ICM is still not fully understood. Here we present new 1-4 GHz Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and archival Chandra observations of the HST Frontier Fields Cluster Abell 2744. In our new VLA images, we detect the previously known $\sim2.1$ Mpc radio halo and $\sim1.5$ Mpc radio relic. We carry out a radio spectral analysis from which we determine the relic's injection…
We present a high-precision mass model of galaxy cluster Abell 2744, based on a strong-gravitational-lensing analysis of the \emph{Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields} (HFF) imaging data, which now include both \emph{Advanced Camera for Surveys} and \emph{Wide-Field Camera 3} observations to the final depth. Taking advantage of the unprecedented depth of the visible and near-infrared data, we identify 34 new multiply imaged galaxies, bringing the total to 61, comprising 181 individual lensed images. In the process, we correct previous erroneous identifications and positions of multiple syst…
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…
We present a detailed weak-lensing and X-ray study of the Frontier Fields galaxy cluster Abell 370, one of the most massive known lenses on the sky, using wide-field BRz Subaru/Sprime-Cam and Chandra X-ray observations. By combining two-dimensional (2D) shear and azimuthally averaged magnification constraints derived from Subaru data, we perform a lensing mass reconstruction in a free-form manner, which allows us to determine both radial structure and 2D morphology of the cluster mass distribution. In a triaxial framework assuming a Navarro-Frenk-White density profile, we constrain the intrins…
We present a joint optical/X-ray analysis of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (z=0.308). Our strong- and weak-lensing analysis within the central region of the cluster, i.e., at R<1Mpc from the brightest cluster galaxy, reveals eight substructures, including the main core. All of these dark-matter halos are detected with a significance of at least 5sigma and feature masses ranging from 0.5 to 1.4x10^{14}Msun within R<150kpc. Merten et al. (2011) and Medezinski et al. (2016) substructures are also detected by us. We measure a slightly higher mass for the main core component than reported p…
We present a strong lensing analysis of the galaxy cluster Abell 370 (z=0.375) based on the recent multicolor ACS images obtained as part of the Early Release Observation (ERO) that followed the Hubble Service Mission #4. Back in 1987, the giant gravitational arc (z=0.725) in Abell 370 was one of the first pieces of evidence that massive clusters are dense enough to act as strong gravitational lenses. The new observations reveal in detail its disklike morphology, and we show that it can be interpreted as a complex five-image configuration, with a total magnification factor of 32+/-4. Moreover,…
In spite of their conjectured importance for the Epoch of Reionization, the properties of low-mass galaxies are currently still under large debate. In this article, we study the stellar and gaseous properties of faint, low-mass galaxies at z>3. We observed the Frontier Fields cluster Abell S1063 with MUSE over a 2 arcmin^2 field, and combined integral-field spectroscopy with gravitational lensing to perform a blind search for intrinsically faint Lya emitters (LAEs). We determined in total the redshift of 172 galaxies of which 14 are lensed LAEs at z=3-6.1. We increased the number of spectrosco…
We present in this letter the first analysis of a z~8 galaxy candidate found in the Hubble and Spitzer imaging data of Abell 2744, as part of the Hubble Frontier Fields legacy program. We applied the most commonly-used methods to select exceptionally high-z galaxies by combining non-detection and color-criteria using seven HST bands. We used GALFIT on IRAC images for fitting and subtracting contamination of bright nearby sources. The physical properties have been inferred from SED-fitting using templates with and without nebular emission. This letter is focussed on the brightest candidate we f…
The Frontier Fields are a director's discretionary time campaign with HST and the Spitzer Space Telescope to see deeper into the universe than ever before. The Frontier Fields combine the power of HST and Spitzer with the natural gravitational telescopes of massive high-magnification clusters of galaxies to produce the deepest observations of clusters and their lensed galaxies ever obtained. Six clusters - Abell 2744, MACSJ0416.1-2403, MACSJ0717.5+3745, MACSJ1149.5+2223, Abell S1063, and Abell 370 - were selected based on their lensing strength, sky darkness, Galactic extinction, parallel fiel…
LensExplorer is an IDL GUI code that can be used to visualize the lensing deflection field derived in the Hubble Frontier Fields clusters. The code can be used for both, research and educational purposes as it offers and intuitive and user friendly way to explore the solutions in the different clusters. LensExplorer can be used to predict the magnifications at different redshifts of background sources and for a given location. We present in this document a quick guide to get started with LensExplorer. The code and lens models for the cluster A2744 and MACSJ0416.1-2403 are publicly available fr…
The Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program combines the capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with the gravitational lensing of massive galaxy clusters to probe the distant Universe to an unprecedented depth. Here, we present the results of the first combined HST and Spitzer observations of the cluster Abell 2744. We combine the full near-infrared data with ancillary optical images to search for gravitationally lensed high-redshift (z > 6) galaxies. We report the detection of 15 I814-dropout candidates at z ~ 6-7 and one Y105-dropout at z ~ 8 in a total survey area of 1.43 arcmin^2 in…
SN HFF14Tom is a Type Ia Supernova (SN) discovered at z = 1.3457 +- 0.0001 behind the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (z = 0.308). In a cosmology-independent analysis, we find that HFF14Tom is 0.77 +- 0.15 magnitudes brighter than unlensed Type Ia SNe at similar redshift, implying a lensing magnification of mu_obs = 2.03 +- 0.29. This observed magnification provides a rare opportunity for a direct empirical test of galaxy cluster lens models. Here we test 17 lens models, 13 of which were generated before the SN magnification was known, qualifying as pure "blind tests". The models are collectively fa…
We present a strong-lensing analysis of four massive galaxy clusters imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope in the Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey. We use a Light-Traces-Mass technique to uncover sets of multiply images and constrain the mass distribution of the clusters. These mass models are the first published for Abell S295 and MACS J0159.8-0849, and are improvements over previous models for Abell 697 and MACS J0025.4-1222. Our analysis for MACS J0025.4-1222 and Abell S295 shows a bimodal mass distribution supporting the merger scenarios proposed for these clusters. The updated model f…
A new step forward in realistic cluster lens mass modelling: Analysis of Hubble Frontier Field Cluster Abell S1063 from joint lensing, X-ray and galaxy kinematics data
We present a multi-band analysis of the six Hubble Frontier Field clusters and their parallel fields, producing catalogs with measurements of source photometry and photometric redshifts. We release these catalogs to the public along with maps of intracluster light and models for the brightest galaxies in each field. This rich data set covers a wavelength range from 0.2 to 8 $μm$, utilizing data from the Hubble Space Telescope, Keck Observatories, Very Large Telescope array, and Spitzer Space Telescope. We validate our products by injecting into our fields and recovering a population of synthet…
In recent years, the rise in the number of Lyman Break Galaxies detected at high redshifts z >= 6 has opened up the possibility of understanding early galaxy formation physics in great detail. In particular, the faint-end slope (alpha) of the Ultra-violet luminosity function (UV LF) of these galaxies is a potential probe of feedback effects that suppress star formation in low mass haloes. In this work, we propose a proof-of-concept calculation for constraining the fluctuating UV background during reionization by constraining alpha in different volumes of the Universe. Because of patchy reioniz…
We search for high-redshift dropout galaxies behind the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) galaxy cluster MACS J1149.5+2223, a powerful cosmic lens that has revealed a number of unique objects in its field. Using the deep images from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, we find 11 galaxies at z>7 in the MACS J1149.5+2223 cluster field, and 11 in its parallel field. The high-redshift nature of the bright z~9.6 galaxy MACS1149-JD, previously reported by Zheng et al., is further supported by non-detection in the extremely deep optical images from the HFF campaign. With the new photometry, the best …
Cluster lensing has become an important tool in the search for high redshift galaxies through its ability to magnify sources. In order to determine the intrinsic properties of these galaxies, lensing mass models must be constructed to determine the magnification of the images. These models are traditionally two-dimensional, focusing on the mass within the cluster and either ignoring or approximating any contribution from line-of-sight galaxies. In this paper, we present the first full set of three-dimensional mass models of the six Hubble Frontier Fields and use them to test for systematic bia…
We derive a free-form mass distribution for the unrelaxed cluster A370 (z=0.375), using the latest Hubble Frontier Fields images and GLASS spectroscopy. Starting from a reliable set of 10 multiply lensed systems we produce a free-form lens model that identifies ~ 80 multiple-images. Good consistency is found between models using independent subsamples of these lensed systems, with detailed agreement for the well resolved arcs. The mass distribution has two very similar concentrations centred on the two prominent Brightest Cluster Galaxies (or BCGs), with mass profiles that are accurately const…
Strong gravitational lensing provides a powerful means for studying faint galaxies in the distant universe. By magnifying the apparent brightness of background sources, massive clusters enable the detection of galaxies fainter than the usual sensitivity limit for blank fields. However, this gain in effective sensitivity comes at the cost of a reduced survey volume and, in this {\it Letter}, we demonstrate there is an associated increase in the cosmic variance uncertainty. As an example, we show that the cosmic variance uncertainty of the high redshift population viewed through the Hubble Space…
Abell 2744, a massive Hubble Frontier Fields merging galaxy cluster with many multiple images in the core has been the subject of many lens inversions using different methods. While most existing studies compare various inversion methods, we focus on a comparison of reconstructions that use different input lensing data. Since the quantity and quality of lensing data is constantly improving, it makes sense to ask if the estimated uncertainties are robust against changes in the data. We address this question using free-form Grale, which takes only image information as input, and nothing pertaini…
We derive a free-form mass distribution for the massive cluster AS1063 (z=0.348) using the completed optical imaging from the Hubble Frontier Fields programme. Based on a subset of 11 multiply lensed systems with spectroscopic redshift we produce a lens model that is accurate enough to unveil new multiply lensed systems, totalling over a 100 arclets, and to estimate their redshifts geometrically. Consistency is found between this precise model and that obtained using only the subset of lensed sources with spectroscopically measured redshifts. Although a relatively large elongation of the mass …
We measure alignments on scales of 1 Mpc $h^{-1}_{71}$ for galaxies in Abell 1689 ($z=0.18$) from an existing Hubble Space Telescope mosaic. We find evidence of galaxy alignment in the inner 500 $h^{-1}_{71}$ kpc. The alignment appears to be stronger towards the centre and is mostly present among the fainter galaxies, while bright galaxies are unaligned. This is consistent with a model where alignments originate from tidal locking.
Using the power of gravitational lensing magnification by massive galaxy clusters, the Hubble Frontier Fields provide deep views of six patches of the high redshift Universe. The combination of deep Hubble imaging and exceptional lensing strength has revealed the greatest numbers of multiply-imaged galaxies available to constrain models of cluster mass distributions. However, even with $\mathcal{O}(100)$ images per cluster, the uncertainties associated with the reconstructions are not negligible. The goal of this paper is to show the diversity of model magnification predictions. We examine 7 a…
Constraints from the Giant Arc in Abell 370. A New Framework for Understanding Systematic Errors in Cluster Lens Modeling. IV. Constraints from the Giant Arc in Abell 370
We present a high-precision mass model of the galaxy cluster MACSJ1149.6+2223, based on a strong-gravitational-lensing analysis of Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields (HFF) imaging data and spectroscopic follow-up with Gemini/GMOS and VLT/MUSE. Our model includes 12 new multiply imaged galaxies, bringing the total to 22, comprised of 65 individual lensed images. Unlike the first two HFF clusters, Abell 2744 and MACSJ0416.1-2403, MACSJ1149 does not reveal as many multiple images in the HFF data. Using the Lenstool software package and the new sets of multiple images, we model the cluster wit…
We present a high-precision mass model of the galaxy cluster MACSJ0416.1-2403, based on a strong-gravitational-lensing analysis of the recently acquired Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields (HFF) imaging data. Taking advantage of the unprecedented depth provided by HST/ACS observations in three passbands, we identify 51 new multiply imaged galaxies, quadrupling the previous census and bringing the grand total to 68, comprising 194 individual lensed images. Having selected a subset of the 57 most securely identified multiply imaged galaxies, we use the Lenstool software package to constrain a…
Acting as powerful gravitational lenses, the strong lensing galaxy clusters of the deep Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program permit access to lower-luminosity galaxies lying at higher redshifts than hitherto possible. We analyzed the HFF to measure the volume density of Lyman-break galaxies at $z > 4.75$ by identifying a complete and reliable sample up to $z \simeq 10$. A marked deficit of such galaxies was uncovered in the highly magnified regions of the clusters relative to their outskirts, implying that the magnification of the sky area dominates over additional faint galaxies magnified abo…
We measure the size-mass relation and its evolution between redshifts 1$<z<$3, using galaxies lensed by six foreground Hubble Frontier Fields clusters. The power afforded by strong gravitation lensing allows us to observe galaxies with higher angular resolution beyond current facilities. We select a stellar mass limited sample and divide them into star-forming or quiescent classes based on their rest-frame UVJ colors from the ASTRODEEP catalogs. Source reconstruction is carried out with the recently-released $lenstruction$ software, which is built on the multi-purpose gravitational lensing sof…
We present free-form gravitational lensing models derived with the WSLAP+ code for the six $\textit{Hubble Frontier Fields}$ clusters using the latest data available from the $\textit{Frontier Fields Lensing Models v.4}$ collaboration. We present magnifications maps in the lens plane and caustic maps in the source plane. From these maps, we derive the probability of magnification using two different, but related, methods. We confirm MACS 0717 as the cluster with the most complex structure, and having the largest lensing efficiency and Einstein radius. When comparing these results with the ones…
We search the complete Hubble Frontier Field dataset of Abell 2744 and its parallel field for z~10 sources to further refine the evolution of the cosmic star-formation rate density (SFRD) at z>8. We independently confirm two images of the recently discovered triply-imaged z~9.8 source by Zitrin et al. (2014) and set an upper limit for similar z~10 galaxies with red colors of J_125-H_160>1.2 in the parallel field of Abell 2744. We utilize extensive simulations to derive the effective selection volume of Lyman-break galaxies at z~10, both in the lensed cluster field and in the adjacent parallel …
We present the comprehensive analyses of faint dropout galaxies up to $z\sim10$ with the first full-depth data set of Abell 2744 lensing cluster and parallel fields observed by the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program. We identify $54$ dropouts at $z\sim5-10$ in the HFF fields, and enlarge the size of $z\sim9$ galaxy sample obtained to date. Although the number of highly magnified ($μ\sim10$) galaxies is small due to the tiny survey volume of strong lensing, our study reaches the galaxies' intrinsic luminosities comparable to the deepest-field HUDF studies. We derive UV luminosity functions wi…
The Frontier Fields program is obtaining deep Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescope images of new "blank" fields and nearby fields gravitationally lensed by massive galaxy clusters. The Hubble images of the lensed fields are revealing nJy sources (AB mag > 31), the faintest galaxies yet observed. In this paper, we present high-redshift (z > 6) number count predictions for the full program and candidates in three of the first Hubble Frontier Fields images. The full program will transform our understanding of galaxy evolution in the first 600 million years (z > 9). Where previous programs yielded p…
We conduct precise strong lensing mass modeling of four ${\it Hubble}$ Frontier Fields (HFF) clusters, Abell$~$2744, MACS$~$J0416.1$-$2403, MACS$~$J0717.5$+$3745, and MACS$~$J1149.6$+$2223, for which HFF imaging observations are completed. We construct a refined sample of more than 100 multiple images for each cluster by taking advantage of the full depth HFF images, and conduct mass modeling using the ${\small \rm GLAFIC}$ software, which assumes simply parametrized mass distributions. Our mass modeling also exploits a magnification constraint from the lensed Type Ia supernova HFF14Tom for Ab…
The Hubble Frontier Fields data, along with multiple data sets obtained by other telescopes, have provided some of the most extensive constraints on cluster lenses to date. Multiple lens modeling teams analyzed the fields and made public a number of deliverables. By comparing these results, we can then undertake a unique and vital test of the state of cluster lens modeling. Specifically, we see how well the different teams can reproduce similar magnifications and mass profiles. We find that the circularly averaged mass profiles of the fields are remarkably constrained (scatter <5%) at distance…
Extending over three Hubble Space Telescope (HST) cycles, the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) initiative constitutes the largest commitment ever of HST time to the exploration of the distant Universe via gravitational lensing by massive galaxy clusters. We here present models of the mass distribution in the six HFF cluster lenses, derived from a joint strong- and weak-lensing analysis anchored by a total of 88 multiple-image systems identified in existing HST data. The resulting maps of the projected mass distribution and of the gravitational magnification effectively calibrate the HFF clusters a…
Strong gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters is a fundamental tool to study dark matter and constrain the geometry of the Universe. Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope Frontier Fields programme has allowed a significant improvement of mass and magnification measurements but lensing models still have a residual root mean square between 0.2 arcsec and few arcsec- onds, not yet completely understood. Systematic errors have to be better understood and treated in order to use strong lensing clusters as reliable cosmological probes. We have analysed two simulated Hubble-Frontier-Fields-like clus…
[abridged] We present a strong-lensing analysis of MACSJ0717.5+3745, based on the full depth of the Hubble Frontier Field (HFF) observations, which brings the number of multiply imaged systems to 61, ten of which are spectroscopically confirmed. The total number of images comprised in these systems rises to 165. Our analysis uses a parametric mass reconstruction technique, as implemented in the Lenstool software, to constrain a mass distribution composed of four large-scale mass components + galaxy-scale perturbers. We find a superposition of cored isothermal mass components to provide a good …
We use a joint optical/X-ray analysis to constrain the geometry and history of the ongoing merging event in the massive galaxy cluster MACSJ0416.1-2403 (z=0.397). Our investigation of cluster substructure rests primarily on a combined strong- and weak-lensing mass reconstruction based on the deep, high-resolution images obtained for the Hubble Frontier Fields initiative. To reveal the system's dynamics, we complement this lensing analysis with a study of the intra-cluster gas using shallow Chandra data, and a three-dimensional model of the distribution and motions of cluster galaxies derived f…
In this Letter we compare the abundance of member galaxies of a rich, nearby ($z=0.09$) galaxy cluster, Abell 2142, with that of halos of comparable virial mass extracted from sets of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, both collisionless at different resolutions and with the inclusion of baryonic physics in the form of cooling, star formation, and feedback by active galactic nuclei. We also use two semi-analytical models to account for the presence of orphan galaxies. The photometric and spectroscopic information, taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12) databas…
The velocity dispersion function of red galaxies in four Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy clusters
Università degli Studi di Ferrara（费拉拉大学）；Università degli Studi di Milano（米兰大学）；University of Portsmouth（朴茨茅斯大学）；Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München（慕尼黑大学）；INAF – IASF Milano（意大利国家天体物理研究所米兰天文物理研究所）；INAF – OAS, Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna（意大利国家天体物理研究所博洛尼亚天文与空间科学研究所）；Università Degli Studi di Salerno（萨莱诺大学）；INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte（意大利国家天体物理研究所卡波迪蒙特天文台）
We show that the recently measured UV luminosity functions of ultra-faint lensed galaxies at z= 6 in the Hubble Frontier Fields provide an unprecedented probe for the mass m_X of the Warm Dark Matter candidates independent of baryonic physics. Comparing the measured abundance of the faintest galaxies with the maximum number density of dark matter halos in WDM cosmologies sets a robust limit m_X> 2.9 keV for the mass of thermal relic WDM particles at a 1-sigma confidence level, m_X> 2.4 keV at 2-sigma, and m_X> 2.1 keV at 3-sigma. These constitute the tightest constraints on WDM particle mass d…
We present the results of a new search for galaxies at redshift z ~ 9 in the first two Hubble Frontier Fields with completed HST WFC3/IR and ACS imaging. To ensure robust photometric redshift solutions, and to minimize incompleteness, we confine our search to objects with H_{160} < 28.6 (AB mag), consider only image regions with an rms noise sigma_{160} > 30 mag (within a 0.5-arcsec diameter aperture), and insist on detections in both H_{160} and J_{140}. The result is a survey covering an effective area (after accounting for magnification) of 10.9 sq. arcmin, which yields 12 galaxies at 8.4 <…
We examine the inner mass distribution of the relaxed galaxy cluster Abell 383 in deep 16-band HST/ACS+WFC3 imaging taken as part of the CLASH multi-cycle treasury program. Our program is designed to study the dark matter distribution in 25 massive clusters, and balances depth with a wide wavelength coverage to better identify lensed systems and generate precise photometric redshifts. This information together with the predictive strength of our strong-lensing analysis method identifies 13 new multiply-lensed images and candidates, so that a total of 27 multiple-images of 9 systems are used to…
We use deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the Frontier Fields to accurately measure the galaxy rest-frame ultraviolet luminosity function (UV LF) in the redshift range $z \sim 6-8$. We combine observations in three lensing clusters A2744, MACS0416, MACS0717 and their associated parallels fields to select high-redshift dropout candidates. We use the latest lensing models to estimate the flux magnification and the effective survey volume in combination with completeness simulations performed in the source plane. We report the detection of 227 galaxy candidates at $z=6-7$ and 25 candidates at…
Measuring time delays from strongly lensed supernovae (SNe) is emerging as a novel and independent tool for estimating the Hubble constant $(H_0)$. This is very important given the recent discord in the value of $H_0$ from two methods that probe different distance ranges. The success of this technique will rely of our ability to discover strongly lensed SNe with measurable time delays. Here, we present the magnifications and the time delays for the multiply-imaged galaxies behind the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) galaxy clusters, by using recently published lensing models. Continuing on our pre…
While the Lyman-$α$ ($\mathrm{Ly}α$) emission line serves as an important tool in the study of galaxies at $z\lesssim 6$, finding Ly$α$ emitters (LAE) at significantly higher redshifts has been more challenging, probably because of the increasing neutrality of the intergalactic medium above $z\sim6$. Galaxies with extremely high rest-frame Ly$α$ equivalent widths, EW(Ly$α$) $\gtrsim 150$ Å, at $z>6$ are good candidates for Ly$α$ follow-up observations, and can stand out in multiband imaging surveys because of their unusual colors. We have conducted a photometric search for such objects in the …
