We use X-ray and optical microlensing measurements to study the shape of the dark matter density profile in the lens galaxies and the size of the (soft) X-ray emission region. We show that single epoch X-ray microlensing is sensitive to the source size. Our results, in good agreement with previous estimates, show that the size of the X-ray emission region scales roughly linearly with the black hole mass, with a half light radius of $R_{1/2}simeq(24pm14) r_g$ where $r_g=GM_{BH}/c^2$. This corresponds to a size of $log(R_{1/2}/cm)=15.6^{+0.3}_{-0.3}$ or $sim$ 1 light day for a black hole mass of $M_{BH}=10^9 M_sun$. We simultaneously estimated the fraction of the local surface mass density in stars, finding that the stellar mass fraction is $alpha=0.20pm0.05$ at an average radius of $sim 1.9 R_{e}$, where $R_e$ is the effective radius of the lens. This stellar mass fraction is insensitive to the X-ray source size and in excellent agreement with our earlier results based on optical data. By combining X-ray and optical microlensing data, we can divide this larger sample into two radial bins. We find that the surface mass density in the form of stars is $alpha=0.31pm0.15$ and $alpha=0.13pm0.05$ at $(1.3pm0.3) R_{e}$ and $(2.3pm0.3) R_{e}$, respectively, in good agreement with expectations and some previous results.
We present a joint estimate of the stellar/dark matter mass fraction in lens galaxies and the average size of the accretion disk of lensed quasars from microlensing measurements of 27 quasar image pairs seen through 19 lens galaxies. The Bayesian estimate for the fraction of the surface mass density in the form of stars is $alpha=0.21pm0.14$ near the Einstein radius of the lenses ($sim 1 - 2$ effective radii). The estimate for the average accretion disk size is $R_{1/2}=7.9^{+3.8}_{-2.6}sqrt{M/0.3M_sun}$ light days. The fraction of mass in stars at these radii is significantly larger than previous estimates from microlensing studies assuming quasars were point-like. The corresponding local dark matter fraction of 79% is in good agreement with other estimates based on strong lensing or kinematics. The size of the accretion disk inferred in the present study is slightly larger than previous estimates.
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of the central region of the active galaxy NGC 4258 obtained with the fibre IFU system INTEGRAL. We have been able to detect cold neutral gas by means of the interstellar NaD doublet absorption and to trace its distribution and kinematics with respect to the underlying disc. The neutral gas is blue-shifted with projected velocities in the 120--370 km/s range. We have also detected peculiar kinematics in part of the ionized gas in this region by means of a careful kinematic decomposition. The bipolar spatial distribution of the broader component is roughly coincident with the morphology of the X-ray diffuse emission. The kinematics of this gas can be explained in terms of expansion at very high (projected) velocities of up to 300 km/s. The observations also reveal the existence of a strip of neutral gas, parallel to the major kinematic axis, that is nearly coincident with a region of very high [SII]/H$alpha$ ratio tracing the shocked gas. Our observations are consistent with the jet model presented by cite{wilsonetal01} in which a cocoon originating from the nuclear jet is shocking the gas in the galaxy disc. Alternatively, our observations are also consistent with the bipolar hypershell model of cite{Sofue80} and cite{SofueandVogler01}. On balance, we prefer the latter model as the most likely explanation for the puzzling features of this peculiar object.
We estimate the fraction of mass that is composed of compact objects in gravitational lens galaxies. This study is based on microlensing measurements (obtained from the literature) of a sample of 29 quasar image pairs seen through 20 lens galaxies. We determine the baseline for no microlensing magnification between two images from the ratios of emission line fluxes. Relative to this baseline, the ratio between the continua of the two images gives the difference in microlensing magnification. The histogram of observed microlensing events peaks close to no magnification and is concentrated below 0.6 magnitudes, although two events of high magnification, $Delta m sim 1.5$, are also present. We study the likelihood of the microlensing measurements using frequency distributions obtained from simulated microlensing magnification maps for different values of the fraction of mass in compact objects, $alpha$. The concentration of microlensing measurements close to $Delta m sim 0$ can be explained only by simulations corresponding to very low values of $alpha$ (10% or less). A maximum likelihood test yields $alpha=0.05_{-0.03}^{+0.09}$ (90% confidence interval) for a quasar continuum source of intrinsic size $r_{s_0}sim 2.6 cdot 10^{15} rm cm$. Regarding the current controversy about Milky Way/LMC and M31 microlensing studies, our work supports the hypothesis of a very low content in MACHOS (Massive Compact Halo Objects).
We present narrowband images of the gravitational lens system Q~2237+0305 made with the Nordic Optical Telescope in eight different filters covering the wavelength interval 3510-8130 AA. Using point-spread function photometry fitting we have derived the difference in magnitude versus wavelength between the four images of Q~2237+0305. At $lambda=4110$ AA, the wavelength range covered by the Stromgren-v filter coincides with the position and width of the CIV emission line. This allows us to determine the existence of microlensing in the continuum and not in the emission lines for two images of the quasar. Moreover, the brightness of image A shows a significant variation with wavelength which can only be explained as consequence of chromatic microlensing. To perform a complete analysis of this chromatic event our observations were used together with Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment light curves. Both data sets cannot be reproduced by the simple phenomenology described under the caustic crossing approximation; using more realistic representations of microlensing at high optical depth, we found solutions consistent with simple thin disk models ($r_{s}varpropto lambda^{4/3}$); however, other accretion disk size-wavelength relationships also lead to good solutions. New chromatic events from the ongoing narrow band photometric monitoring of Q~2237+0305 are needed to accurately constrain the physical properties of the accretion disk for this system.
