Abstract We explore degeneracies in strong lensing model so to make time delay data consistent with the WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) cosmology. Previous models using a singular isothermal lens often yield a time delay between the observed multiple images too small than the observed value if we ``hardwire'' the now widely quoted post-WMAP ``high'' value of the Hubble constant (H0~71±4 km s-1 Mpc-1). Alternatively, the lens density profile (star plus dark matter) is required to be locally steeper than r−2 (isothermal) profile near the Einstein radius (of the order 3 kpc) to fit the time delays; a naive extrapolation of a very steep profile to large radius would imply a lens halo with a scale length of the order only 3 kpc, too compact to be consistent with CDM. We explore more sophisticated, mathematically smooth, positive lens mass density profiles which are consistent with a large halo and the post-WMAP H0. Thanks to the spherical monopole degeneracy, the ``reshuffling'' of the mass in a lens model does not affect the quality of the fit to the image positions, amplifications, and image time delays. Even better, unlike the better-known mass sheet degeneracy, the stellar mass-to-light and the H0 value are not affected either. We apply this monopole degeneracy to the quadruple imaged time-delay system PG 1115+080. Finally we discuss the implications of the time delay data on the newly proposed relativistic MOND theory.

null

https://doi.org/10.1088/1009-9271/6/2/002