Gravitational lensing effects of supermassive black holes in cluster
  environments
  This study explores the gravitational lensing effects of supermassive black
holes (SMBHs) in galaxy clusters. While the presence of central SMBHs in
galaxies is firmly established, recent work from high-resolution simulations
predict the existence of an additional population of wandering SMBHs. Though
the masses of these SMBHs are a minor perturbation on the larger scale and
individual galaxy scale dark matter components in the cluster, they can impact
statistical lensing properties and individual lensed image configurations.
Probing for these potentially observable signatures, we find that SMBHs imprint
detectable signatures in rare, higher-order strong lensing image configurations
although they do not manifest any statistically significant detectable evidence
in either the magnification distribution or the integrated shear profile.
Investigating specific lensed image geometries, we report that a massive, near
point-like, potential of an SMBH causes the following detectable effects: (ii)
image splitting leading to the generation of extra images; (ii) positional and
magnification asymmetries in multiply imaged systems; and (iii) the apparent
disappearance of a lensed counter-image. Of these, image splitting inside the
cluster tangential critical curve, is the most prevalent notable observational
signature. We demonstrate these possibilities in two cases of observed giant
arcs in $SGAS\,J003341.5+024217$ and $RX\,J1347.5-1145$, wherein specific image
configurations seen can be reproduced with SMBHs. Future observations with
high-resolution instrumentation (e.g. MAVIS-Very Large Telescope,
MICADO-Extremely Large Telescope, and the upgraded ngVLA, along with data from
the \textit{Euclid} \& \textit{Nancy Grace Roman} Space Telescopes and the
Rubin LSST Observatory are likely to allow us to probe these unique yet rare
SMBHs lensing signatures.
