Aims. Within the framework of the COSMOGRAIL collaboration we present 7- and 8.5-year-long light curves and time-delay estimates for two gravitationally lensed quasars: SDSS J1206+4332 and HS 2209+1914. Methods. We monitored these doubly lensed quasars in the R-band using four telescopes: the Mercator, Maidanak, Himalayan Chandra, and Euler Telescopes, together spanning a period of 7 to 8.5 observing seasons from mid-2004 to mid-2011. The photometry of the quasar images was obtained through simultaneous deconvolution of these data. The time delays were determined from these resulting light curves using four very different techniques: a dispersion method, a spline fit, a regression difference technique, and a numerical model fit. This minimizes the bias that might be introduced by the use of a single method. Results. The time delay for SDSS J1206+4332 is Delta_t AB = 111.3 +/- 3 days with A leading B, confirming a previously published result within the error bars. For HS 2209+1914 we present a new time delay of Delta_t BA = 20.0 +/- 5 days with B leading A. Conclusions. The combination of data from up to four telescopes have led to well-sampled and nearly 9-season-long light curves, which were necessary to obtain these results, especially for the compact doubly lensed quasar HS 2209+1914.

We present the results from nine years of optically monitoring the gravitationally lensed zQSO = 0.658 quasar RX J1131−1231. The R-band light curves of the four individual images of the quasar were obtained using deconvolution photometry for a total of 707 epochs. Several sharp quasar variability features strongly constrain the time delays between the quasar images. Using three different numerical techniques, we measured these delays for all possible pairs of quasar images while always processing the four light curves simultaneously. For all three methods, the delays between the three close images A, B, and C are compatible with being 0, while we measured the delay of image D to be 91 days, with a fractional uncertainty of 1.5% (1σ), including systematic errors. Our analysis of random and systematic errors accounts in a realistic way for the observed quasar variability, fluctuating microlensing magnification over a broad range of temporal scales, noise properties, and seasonal gaps. Finally, we find that our time-delay measurement methods yield compatible results when applied to subsets of the data.

Aims. Time series of high-resolution spectra of the late B-type star HD 11753 exhibiting HgMn chemical peculiarity are used to study the surface distribution of different chemical elements and their temporal evolution.

Aims. Time series of high-resolution spectra of the late B-type star HD 11753 exhibiting HgMn chemical peculiarity are used to study the surface distribution of different chemical elements and their temporal evolution.Methods. High-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio spectra were obtained using the CORALIE spectrograph at La Silla in 2000, 2009, and 2010. Surface maps of Y II, Sr II, Ti II, and Cr II were calculated using the Doppler imaging technique. The results were also compared to equivalent width measurements. The evolution of chemical spots both on short and long time scales were investigated.Results. We determine the binary orbit of HD 11753 and fine-tune the rotation period of the primary. The earlier discovered fast evolution of the chemical spots is confirmed by an analysis using both the chemical spot maps and equivalent width measurements. In addition, a long-term decrease in the overall Y II and Sr II abundances is discovered. A detailed analysis of the chemical spot configurations reveals some possible evidence that a very weak differential rotation is operating in HD 11753.

We present the results from nine years of optically monitoring the gravitationally lensed z(QSO) = 0.658 quasar RX J1131-1231. The R-band light curves of the four individual images of the quasar were obtained using deconvolution photometry for a total of 707 epochs. Several sharp quasar variability features strongly constrain the time delays between the quasar images. Using three different numerical techniques, we measured these delays for all possible pairs of quasar images while always processing the four light curves simultaneously. For all three methods, the delays between the three close images A, B, and C are compatible with being 0, while we measured the delay of image D to be 91 days, with a fractional uncertainty of 1.5% (1 sigma), including systematic errors. Our analysis of random and systematic errors accounts in a realistic way for the observed quasar variability, fluctuating microlensing magnification over a broad range of temporal scales, noise properties, and seasonal gaps. Finally, we find that our time-delay measurement methods yield compatible results when applied to subsets of the data.

This paper presents optical R-band light curves and the time delay of the doubly imaged gravitationally lensed quasar SDSS J1001+5027 at a redshift of 1.838. We have observed this target for more than six years, between March 2005 and July 2011, using the 1.2-m Mercator Telescope, the 1.5-m telescope of the Maidanak Observatory, and the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope. Our resulting light curves are composed of 443 independent epochs, and show strong intrinsic quasar variability, with an amplitude of the order of 0.2 magnitudes. From this data, we measure the time delay using five different methods, all relying on distinct approaches. One of these techniques is a new development presented in this paper. All our time-delay measurements are perfectly compatible. By combining them, we conclude that image A is leading B by 119.3 +/- 3.3 days (1 sigma, 2.8% uncertainty), including systematic errors. It has been shown recently that such accurate time-delay measurements offer a highly complementary probe of dark energy and spatial curvature, as they independently constrain the Hubble constant. The next mandatory step towards using SDSS J1001+5027 in this context will be the measurement of the velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, in combination with deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging.

Gravitational lensing describes the deflection of light by a gravitational field. In the case of a particularly deep potential well, the phenomenon can be spectacular: a luminous source in the background of a massive galaxy (the gravitational lens) can be “multiply im aged” and several distorted images of it are seen around this galaxy. This phenomenon is known as “strong gravitational lensing” and has several interesting cosmological applications. One of them uses the measurement of the “time delays” between the multiple images of a gravitationally lensed source.

We present accurate time delays for the quadruply imaged quasar HE 0435-1223. The delays were measured from 575 independent photometric points obtained in the R-band between January 2004 and March 2010. With seven years of data, we clearly show that quasar image A is affected by strong microlensing variations and that the time delays are best expressed relative to quasar image B. We measured Delta_t(BC) = 7.8+/-0.8 days, Delta_t(BD) = -6.5+/-0.7 days and Delta_t_CD = -14.3+/-0.8 days. We spacially deconvolved HST NICMOS2 F160W images to derive accurate astrometry of the quasar images and to infer the light profile of the lensing galaxy. We combined these images with a stellar population fitting of a deep VLT spectrum of the lensing galaxy to estimate the baryonic fraction, f_b, in the Einstein radius. We measured f_b = 0.65+0.13-0.10 if the lensing galaxy has a Salpeter IMF and f_b = 0.45+0.04-0.07 if it has a Kroupa IMF. The spectrum also allowed us to estimate the velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, sigma_ap = 222+/-34 km/s. We used f_b and sigma_ap to constrain an analytical model of the lensing galaxy composed of an Hernquist plus generalized NFW profile. We solve the Jeans equations numerically for the model and explored the parameter space under the additional requirement that the model must predict the correct astrometry for the quasar images. Given the current error bars on f_b and sigma_ap, we did not constrain H0 yet with high accuracy, i.e., we found a broad range of models with chi^2 < 1. However, narrowing this range is possible, provided a better velocity dispersion measurement becomes available. In addition, increasing the depth of the current HST imaging data of HE 0435-1223 will allow us to combine our constraints with lens reconstruction techniques that make use of the full Einstein ring that is visible in this object.

We test the robustness of published time delays for 11 lensed quasars by using two techniques to measure time shifts in their light curves. We chose to use two fundamentally different techniques to determine time delays in gravitationally lensed quasars: a method based on fitting a numerical model and another one derived from the minimum dispersion method introduced by Pelt and collaborators. To analyse our sample in a homogeneous way and avoid bias caused by the choice of the method used, we apply both methods to 11 different lensed systems for which delays have been published: JVAS B0218+357, SBS 0909+523, RX J0911+0551, FBQS J0951+2635, HE 1104-1805, PG 1115+080, JVAS B1422+231, SBS 1520+530, CLASS B1600+434, CLASS B1608+656, and HE 2149-2745 Time delays for three double lenses, JVAS B0218+357, HE 1104-1805, and CLASS B1600+434, as well as the quadruply lensed quasar CLASS B1608+656 are confirmed within the error bars. We correct the delay for SBS 1520+530. For PG 1115+080 and RX J0911+0551, the existence of a second solution on top of the published delay is revealed. The time delays in four systems, SBS 0909+523, FBQS J0951+2635, JVAS B1422+231, and HE 2149-2745 prove to be less reliable than previously claimed. If we wish to derive an estimate of H_0 based on time delays in gravitationally lensed quasars, we need to obtain more robust light curves for most of these systems in order to achieve a higher accuracy and robustness on the time delays.

We present accurate time delays for the quadruply imaged quasar HE 0435-1223. The delays were measured from 575 independent photometric points obtained in the R-band between January 2004 and March 2010. With seven years of data, we clearly show that quasar image A is affected by strong microlensing variations and that the time delays are best expressed relative to quasar image B. We measured Delta_t(BC) = 7.8+/-0.8 days, Delta_t(BD) = -6.5+/-0.7 days and Delta_t_CD = -14.3+/-0.8 days. We spacially deconvolved HST NICMOS2 F160W images to derive accurate astrometry of the quasar images and to infer the light profile of the lensing galaxy. We combined these images with a stellar population fitting of a deep VLT spectrum of the lensing galaxy to estimate the baryonic fraction, $f_b$, in the Einstein radius. We measured f_b = 0.65+0.13-0.10 if the lensing galaxy has a Salpeter IMF and f_b = 0.45+0.04-0.07 if it has a Kroupa IMF. The spectrum also allowed us to estimate the velocity dispersion of the lensing galaxy, sigma_ap = 222+/-34 km/s. We used f_b and sigma_ap to constrain an analytical model of the lensing galaxy composed of an Hernquist plus generalized NFW profile. We solve the Jeans equations numerically for the model and explored the parameter space under the additional requirement that the model must predict the correct astrometry for the quasar images. Given the current error bars on f_b and sigma_ap, we did not constrain H0 yet with high accuracy, i.e., we found a broad range of models with chi^2 < 1. However, narrowing this range is possible, provided a better velocity dispersion measurement becomes available. In addition, increasing the depth of the current HST imaging data of HE 0435-1223 will allow us to combine our constraints with lens reconstruction techniques that make use of the full Einstein ring that is visible in this object.

Gravitationally lensed quasars can be used to map the mass distribution in lensing galaxies and to estimate the Hubble constant H-0 by measuring the time delays between the quasar images. Here we report the measurement of two independent time delays in the quadruply imaged quasar WFI J2033-4723 (z = 1.66). Our data consist of R-band images obtained with the Swiss 1.2 m EULER telescope located at La Silla and with the 1.3 m SMARTS telescope located at Cerro Tololo. The light curves have 218 independent epochs spanning 3 full years of monitoring between March 2004 and May 2007, with a mean temporal sampling of one observation every 4th day. We measure the time delays using three different techniques, and we obtain Delta t(B-A) = 35.5 +/- 1.4 days (3.8%) and Delta t(B-C) = 62.6(-2.3)(+4.1) days ((+6.5%)(-3.7%)), where A is a composite of the close, merging image pair. After correcting for the time delays, we find R-band flux ratios of F-A/F-B = 2.88 +/- 0.04, F-A/F-C = 3.38 +/- 0.06, and F-A1/F-A2 = 1.37 +/- 0.05 with no evidence for microlensing variability over a time scale of three years. However, these flux ratios do not agree with those measured in the quasar emission lines, suggesting that longer term microlensing is present. Our estimate of H-0 agrees with the concordance value: non-parametric modeling of the lensing galaxy predicts H-0 = 67(-10)(+13) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), while the Single Isothermal Sphere model yields H-0 = 63(-3)(+7) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) (68% confidence level). More complex lens models using a composite de Vaucouleurs plus NFW galaxy mass profile show twisting of the mass isocontours in the lensing galaxy, as do the non-parametric models. As all models also require a significant external shear, this suggests that the lens is a member of the group of galaxies seen in field of view of WFI J2033-4723.