[en] The Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey (CLASS), is an international (USA, UK and Netherlands) collaborative program aimed at obtaining high-resolution radio images of over 10000 at-spectrum radio sources in order to create the largest and best studied statistical sample of radio-loud gravitationally lensed systems. With this survey, combined with detailed studies of the lenses found therein, powerful constraints can be placed on the cosmography (ie. expansion rate, mean density, and cosmological constant) of the Universe. CLASS is aimed at identifying lenses where multiple images are formed from compact at-spectrum radio sources, which should be easily identi able in the radio maps. In three observing\seasons" in 1994, 1995, and 1998, CLASS has observed over 12,000 radio sources. When combined with the JVAS survey, the CLASS sample contains over 15,000 images and at least 17 lenses, with 11 in CLASS so far as well as a number of candidates still being followed up. In this poster, we present a summary of the CLASS observations, the JVAS-CLASS sample, and statistics on subsamples of the survey.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Myers, Steven T.; NRAL
Jackson, N. J. F.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Browne, I. W. A.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
de Bruyn, A. G.; RUG - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen [NL] > Kapteyn Instituut
Readhead, A. C. S.; Caltech - California Institute of Technology - CIT [US]
Wilkinson, P. N.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Fassnacht, C. D.; Caltech - California Institute of Technology - CIT [US]
Koopmans, L. V. E.; RUG - Rijksuniversiteit Groningen [NL] > Kapteyn Instituut
Marlow, D. R.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Norbury, M.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Rusin, D.; Upenn - University of Pennsylvania [US]
Biggs, A. D.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Blandford, R. D.; Stanford University
Helbig, Phillip ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Université de Liège - ULiège
Pearson, T. J.; Caltech - California Institute of Technology - CIT [US]
Xanthopoulos, E.; University of Manchester [UK] > Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics