发表机构
University of Cambridge; Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology; Durham University; University of Groningen（剑桥大学; 加州理工学院喷气推进实验室; 杜伦大学; 格罗宁根大学）
机构由 AI 辅助整理，请以论文原文为准。AI 中文总结
该研究模拟HWO观测强透镜星系，发现利用弧信噪比预选透镜可显著降低暗物质次晕探测质量阈值，且PSF建模误差对灵敏度影响有限，表明HWO后续观测有望揭示暗物质本质。
AI 中文摘要
不同的暗物质理论预言了约$10^8M_{\odot}$以下星系次晕的不同种群和形态。宜居世界天文台（HWO）计划中的角分辨率和光学稳定性应使其能够在强透镜星系图像中探测到微弱的次晕扰动。我们在基准探索性分析案例1（EAC1）设计下，模拟了其高分辨率成像仪（HRI）的2000秒曝光，假设源结构已知并省略透镜星系光。仅利用弧信噪比和相对梯度功率，从965个透镜中预选前50个（5.2%），可将10%孔径覆盖的中位质量阈值相对于全集降低约十倍。前12个（1.2%）在相同覆盖下达到$6.6\times10^7M_{\odot}$的中位值。在其最敏感位置，前50个和前12个分别达到$3\times10^7M_{\odot}$和$1.5\times10^7M_{\odot}$的中位阈值。非线性拟合在测试质量和位置下支持Fisher预测。对于这12个透镜，当点扩散函数（PSF）被正确建模时，将物理波前误差从35 nm RMS增加到65 nm RMS仅使中位阈值提高0.1 dex。故意错误建模35 nm参考PSF会移除可探测位置，尽管误报仍然罕见。在我们说明性的保留标准下，敏感面积的损失设定了5 nm RMS（范围2--10 nm）的中位可容忍波前失配。因此，对Euclid或Roman发现的透镜进行选择性HWO后续观测，可以转变我们对暗物质本质的理解，前提是PSF被足够准确地表征以保持这种灵敏度。
英文摘要
Different theories of dark matter predict different populations and morphologies of galactic subhaloes below about $10^8M_{\odot}$. The planned angular resolution and optical stability of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) should enable it to detect subtle subhalo perturbations in strongly lensed galaxy images. We simulate 2000-second exposures with its High Resolution Imager (HRI) under the fiducial Exploratory Analytic Case 1 (EAC1) design, assuming known source structure and omitting lens-galaxy light. Pre-selecting the top 50 of 965 lenses (5.2%) using only arc signal-to-noise and relative gradient power lowers the median mass threshold for 10% aperture coverage roughly tenfold relative to the full ensemble. The top 12 (1.2%) reach a median of $6.6\times10^7M_{\odot}$ for the same coverage. At their most sensitive positions, the top 50 and top 12 reach median thresholds of $3\times10^7M_{\odot}$ and $1.5\times10^7M_{\odot}$, respectively. Non-linear fits support the Fisher forecasts at the tested masses and positions. For these 12 lenses, increasing the physical wavefront error from 35 to 65 nm RMS raises the median thresholds by only 0.1 dex when the point spread function (PSF) is modelled correctly. Deliberately mismodelling the 35-nm reference PSF removes detectable positions, although false detections remain rare. Under our illustrative retention criteria, loss of sensitive area sets a median tolerated wavefront mismatch of 5 nm RMS (range 2--10 nm). Selective HWO follow-up of lenses discovered by Euclid or Roman could therefore transform our understanding of the nature of dark matter, provided that the PSF is characterized accurately enough to preserve this sensitivity.
Comments16 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to RAS Techniques and Instruments
