Lensed-arc statistics of galaxy clusters

However, samples of clusters that have been analysed to date have been either small, heterogeneous or observed with limited angular resolution. We measure the lensed-arc statistics of 97 clusters imaged at high angular resolution with the Hubble Space Telescope, identifying lensed arcs using two automated arc-detection algorithms.

The sample includes similar numbers of X-ray-selected [MAssive Cluster Survey (MACS)] and optically selected [Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS)] clusters, and spans cluster redshifts in the range 0.2<z<1. We compile a catalogue of 42 arcs in the X-ray-selected subsample and seven arcs in the optical subsample. All but five of these arcs are reported here for the first time.