THE CLUSTER LENS ACO 1703: REDSHIFT CONTRAST AND THE INNER PROFILE

ACO 1703 is a cluster recently found to have a variety of strongly lensed objects: there is a quintuply imaged system at z = 0.888 and several other lensed objects from z = 2.2 to 3.0 (the cluster itself is at z = 0.28). It is not difficult to model the lens, as previous work has already done. However, lens models are generically nonunique. We generate ensembles of models to explore the nonuniqueness. When the full range of source redshifts is included, all models are close to rho proportional to r(-1) out to 200 kpc. But if the quint is omitted, both shallower and steeper models (e.g., rho proportional to r(-2)) are possible. The reason is that the redshift contrast between the quint and the other sources gives a good measurement of the enclosed mass at two different radii, thus providing a good estimate of the mass profile in between. This result supports universal profiles and explains why single-model approaches can give conflicting results. The mass map itself is elongated in the northwest-southeast direction, like the galaxy distribution. An overdensity in both mass and light is also apparent to the southeast, which suggests mesostructure.