Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-07-30
Phys.Rev. D74 (2006) 061501
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
5 pages, 1 figure. Revised for greater reader friendliness. Accepted to Phys. Rev. D15 Rapid Communications
Scientific paper
10.1103/PhysRevD.74.061501
We constrain the post-Newtonian gravity parameter gamma on kiloparsec scales by comparing the masses of 15 elliptical lensing galaxies from the Sloan Lens ACS Survey as determined in two independent ways. The first method assumes only that Newtonian gravity is correct and is independent of gamma, while the second uses gravitational lensing which depends on gamma. More specifically, we combine Einstein radii and radial surface-brightness gradient measurements of the lens galaxies with empirical distributions for the mass concentration and velocity anisotropy of elliptical galaxies in the local universe to predict gamma-dependent probability distributions for the lens-galaxy velocity dispersions. By comparing with observed velocity dispersions, we derive a maximum-likelihood value of gamma = 0.98 +/- 0.07 (68% confidence). This result is in excellent agreement with the prediction of general relativity that has previously been verified to this accuracy only on solar-system length scales.
Bolton Adam S.
Burles Scott
Rappaport Saul
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