Elliptically Symmetric Lenses and Violation of Burke's Theorem

Details Elliptically Symmetric Lenses and Violation of Burke's Theorem Elliptically Symmetric Lenses and Violation of Burke's Theorem

2010-06-04

arxiv.org/abs/1006.0782v2

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

21 pages, 2 figures; an error corrected, claim strengthened; summary added

Scientific paper

We show that the outside equation of a bounded elliptically symmetric lens (ESL) exhibits a pseudo-caustic that arises from a branch cut. A pseudo-caustic is a curve in the source plane across which the number of images changes by one. The inside lens equation of a bounded ESL is free of a pseudo-caustic. Thus the total parity of the images of a point source lensed by a bounded elliptically symmetric mass is not an invariant in violation of the Burke's theorem. A smooth mass density function does not guarantee the validity of the Burke's theorem. Pseudo-caustics of various lens equations are discussed. In the Appendix, Bourassa and Kantowski's deflection angle formula for an elliptically symmetric lens is reproduced using the Schwarz function of the ellipse for an easy access; the outside and inside lens equations of an arbitrary set of truncated circularly or elliptically symmetric lenses, represented as points, sticks, and disks, are presented as a reasonable approximation of the realistic galaxy or cluster lenses. One may consider smooth density functions that are not bounded but fall sufficiently fast asymptotically to preserve the total parity invariance. Any bounded function may be sufficiently closely approximated by an unbounded smooth function obtained by truncating its Fourier integral at a high frequency mode. Whether to use a bounded function or an unbounded smooth function for an ESL lens mass density, whereby whether to observe the total parity invariance or not, incurs philosophical questions. For example, is it sensible to insist that the elliptical symmetry of an elliptic lens galaxy be valid in the entire sky? How a pseudo-caustic close to or intersecting with a caustic must be withered away during a smoothing process and what it means will be investigated in a separate work.

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