NICMOS and VLBA observations of the gravitational lens system B1933+503

Abstract

NICMOS observations of the complex gravitational lens system B1933+503 reveal infrared counterparts to two of the inverted-spectrum radio images. The infrared images have arc-like structures. The corresponding radio images are also detected in a VLBA map made at 1.7 GHz with a resolution of 6 mas. We fail to detect two of the four inverted radio spectrum components with the VLBA even though they are clearly visible in a MERLIN map at the same frequency at a different epoch. The absence of these two components could be due to rapid variability on a time-scale less than the time delay, or to broadening of the images during propagation of the radio waves through the ISM of the lensing galaxy. The degree of scatter-broadening must be sufficient that the missing images fall below the surface brightness detectability threshold of the VLBA observations. The variability explanation is the least plausible. The failure to detect the same two images with NICMOS is probably due to extinction in the ISM of the lensing galaxy.