Paper detail

Systematic vs. Statistical Uncertainties in Masses and Magnifications of the Hubble Frontier Fields

The Hubble Frontier Fields data, along with multiple data sets obtained by other telescopes, have provided some of the most extensive constraints on cluster lenses to date. Multiple lens modeling teams analyzed the fields and made public a number of deliverables. By comparing these results, we can then undertake a unique and vital test of the state of cluster lens modeling. Specifically, we see how well the different teams can reproduce similar magnifications and mass profiles. We find that the circularly averaged mass profiles of the fields are remarkably constrained (scatter <5%) at distances of 1 arcmin from the cluster core, yet magnifications can vary significantly. Averaged across the six fields, we find a bias of -6% (-17%) and a scatter of ~40% (~65%) at a modest magnification of 3 (10). Statistical errors reported by individual teams are often significantly smaller than the differences among all the teams, indicating the importance of continued systematics studies in cluster lensing.