Physics
Scientific paper
May 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999phdt........13m&link_type=abstract
Thesis (PhD). UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ, Source DAI-B 60/11, p. 5565, May 2000, 114 pages.
Physics
1
Scientific paper
Galaxies are usually studied by observing the light emitted by their stars. It is possible, however, to study galaxies by the effect they have on background light passing near or through them. Here we exploit two effects that a galaxy can have on a background quasar to learn about the structure of the foreground galaxy. The first effect is gravitational lensing, where in rare occurrences the mass of the galaxy can create multiple images of the background quasar. By studying such systems it is possible to constrain the fraction of mass in the disk of the galaxy. The second effect is the absorption features in the background quasar's spectrum, produced by cold gas in the galaxy. Studying these allows us to probe the gas distribution and kinematics of the gas in the foreground galaxy and thereby constrain theories of galaxy formation.
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