Abstract
The space density of gravitational lens images as a function of redshift is calculated for various cosmological models. One cannot interpret all QSOs as gravitational lens images, unless there is a substantial amount of evolution with z in the sources of the lens images, and also a large fraction of the mass of the universe in the form of compact dark objects.
A conservative estimate, assuming no evolution of the sources, and a smoothed-out density of 7×10−31 g/cm−3, for the objects which act as lenses, results in a discrepancy by a factor ∼104 between the comoving density of lens images and QSOs, out to a redshift of z≃2.8.
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SANITT, N. Quasi-stellar Objects and Gravitational Lenses. Nature 234, 199–203 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/234199a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/234199a0
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