J03.13 A and B: a new multiply imaged QSO candidate.

Careful analysis of direct R CCD frames obtained for selected Highly Luminous Quasars in March 1993 with the MPI/ESO 2.2m telescope has revealed that the quasar J03.13 consists of at least two point-like components, constituting therefore a new gravitational lens candidate. Follow-up direct imagery of this interesting object with the New Technology Telescope (NTT) + SUSI in February 1994, using the Bessel B, R and Gunn-i filters, tends to confirm the gravitational lens hypothesis. The mean angular separation and magnitude difference between the A & B images are found to be 0.84"+/-0.03" and 2.1+/-0.1mag, respectively. A spatially unresolved, medium resolution spectrum of J03.13, obtained with the NTT + EMMI in February 1994, shows that the QSO has a redshift z=2.55, with Lyalpha and CIV absorptions at z=2.34 and MgII, MgI and FeII absorptions at z=1.085. The latter absorptions might be associated with a sigma=206km/s lens galaxy. B, R and Gunn-i photometric observations of J03.13 during 1994 and 1995 do not show evidence for flux variations exceeding 0.03mag. HST direct imagery with WFPC2 and FOS spectroscopy of J03.13 A & B are planned during cycle 5.