Gravitational Lens System PS J0147+4630 (Andromeda’s Parachute): Main Lensing Galaxy and Optical Variability of the Quasar Images

Because follow-up observations of quadruple gravitational lens systems are of extraordinary importance for astrophysics and cosmology, we present single-epoch optical spectra and r-band light curves of PS J0147+4630. This recently discovered system mainly consists of four images ABCD of a background quasar around a foreground galaxy G that acts as a gravitational lens. First, we use long-slit spectroscopic data in the Gemini Observatory Archive and a multi-component fitting to accurately resolve the spectra of A, D, and G. The spectral profile of G resembles that of an early-type galaxy at a redshift of 0.678 ± 0.001, which is about 20% higher than the previous estimate. Additionally, the stellar velocity dispersion is measured to ∼5% precision. Second, our early r-band monitoring with the Liverpool Telescope leads to accurate light curves of the four quasar images. Adopting time delays predicted by the lens model, the new lens redshift, and a standard cosmology, we report the detection of microlensing variations in C and D as large as ∼0.1 mag on timescales of a few hundred days. We also estimate an actual delay between A and B of a few days (B is leading), which demonstrates the big potential of optical monitoring campaigns of PS J0147+4630.