The goal of this collaborative project is to improve the current measurement of cosmological quantities, in particular the Hubble constant and the Dark Energy component, using time delay measurements from strong gravitational lenses acting upon quasars. This includes analysis of already taken data, as well as the anticipated discovery of approximately 50 new lenses. Gravitational time delays are not only independent of other methods but are also a very cost effective probe, requiring just a few hours on an 8-10m telescope for modeling the lens, and subsequent monitoring on 1m class telescopes.
Broader impacts of the work include training of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. At the K-12 level, Dr. Treu collaborates with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural history (SBMNH) and Las Cumbres Observatories GlobalTelescope Network to organize public lectures, and establish an astronomy curriculum at the UC-operated Sedgwick Natural Reserve. Similarly, Dr. Fassnacht has developed a month-long course for high-school students on the Davis campus as part of the UC COSMOS program.
