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D. Rusin (University of Pennsylvania)
The existence of simple analytic expressions for their deflection angles has made isothermal mass distributions the most common choice for modeling gravitational lenses. However, the exploration of more general mass profiles is now feasible due to improved computational methods and faster CPUs. Here we investigate one such model for lens galaxies, the singular power-law ellipsoid (SPLE). For an SPLE with an axial ratio f and profile index p, the surface mass density \Sigma \propto (x2 + f2 y2)-p.
In this study the SPLE is used to model a set of well-constrained gravitational lens systems. For each system we derive a range of power-law profiles favored by lens modeling and discuss its implications on the predicted time delays, which may be used for Hubble constant determination. The combined results allow us to constrain the mass profiles of elliptical galaxies at intermediate redshift.