Why are multiple gravitational lenses more common than rings?

Because ring gravitational lenses only happen if the lensing galaxy is EXACTLY along the line of sight between you and the distant galaxy/quasar. If it is off by even a few arc seconds, the ring degenerates into crescents and multiple images depending on the exact distribution of mass within the 'lumpy' lensing galaxy. To get a ring, you need a lensing galaxy like an elliptical galaxy with a smooth, symmetric mass distribution. A spiral galaxy is so internally lumpy with arms and dense nucleus, that I believe it gives multiple images and no rings. Also, entire clusters of galaxies have a roughly smooth gravitational field so they are also observed to give arcs and partial rings.


Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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