📝 SummarXiv

Abstract

Gravitational lens flux ratio anomalies are a powerful probe of small-scale mass structures within lens galaxies. These anomalies are often attributed to dark matter subhalos, but the baryonic components of the lens can also play a significant role. This study investigates the impact of galactic bars, a common feature in spiral galaxies, on flux ratio anomalies. We conduct a systematic analysis using a sample of 21 barred galaxies from the high-resolution Auriga cosmological simulations. First, we model the projected mass distribution of these galaxies with the Multi-Gaussian Expansion formalism. This method yields smooth lens potentials that preserve the primary bar structure while mitigating numerical noise. We then perform strong lensing simulations and quantify the flux ratio anomalies by measuring their deviation from the theoretical cusp-caustic relation. To characterize the structural properties of the bars, we use a Fourier decomposition of the surface mass density in the bar region. Our primary finding is a strong, statistically significant correlation between the magnitude of the flux ratio anomaly and the strength of higher-order even Fourier modes. Specifically, the strengths of the boxy/peanut and hexapole components show an exceptionally tight correlation with the flux anomaly, with Spearman correlation coefficients of r=0.85 and 0.89, and p-values on the order of 1e-6 and 1e-8, respectively. This demonstrates that flux ratio anomalies are highly sensitive to the complex, non-axisymmetric features of galactic bars. We conclude that the flux ratio anomaly can be a powerful indicator of a galactic bar's complex morphology. Failing to account for a bar's complex morphology can lead to a misinterpretation of the lensing signature, potentially causing an overestimation of the dark matter subhalo population.