Bibcode
Motta, V.; Mediavilla, E.; Falco, E.
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysics of Dust, Estes Park, Colorado, May 26 - 30, 2003. Edited by Adolf N. Witt, meeting abstract.
Advertised on:
0
2003
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
We determine the extinction curve in the zl = 0.83 lens
galaxy of the gravitational lens SBS 0909+532 from the wavelength
dependence of the flux ratio between the lensed quasar images
(zs = 1.38) from 3400 to 9200Å. It is the first
measurement of an extinction curve at a cosmological distance of
comparable quality to those obtained within the Galaxy. The extinction
curve has a strong 2175Å feature, a noteworthy fact because it has
been weak or non-existent in most estimates of extinction curves outside
the Galaxy. The extinction curve is fitted well by a standard
RV = 2.1 ± 0.9 Galactic extinction curve. If we assume
standard Galactic extinction laws, the estimated dust redshift of z =
0.88 ± 0.02 is in good agreement with the spectroscopic redshift
of the lens galaxy. The widespread assumption that Small Magellanic
Cloud extinction curves are more appropriate models for cosmological
dust may be incorrect.