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We investigate how strong gravitational lensing can test contemporary modelsof massive elliptical (ME) galaxy formation, by combining a traditionaldecomposition of their visible stellar distribution with a lensing analysis oftheir mass distribution. As a proof of concept, we study a sample of three MElenses, observing that all are composed of two distinct baryonic structures, a`red' central bulge surrounded by an extended envelope of stellar material.Whilst these two components look photometrically similar, their distinctlensing effects permit a clean decomposition of their mass structure. Thisallows us to infer two key pieces of information about each lens galaxy: (i)the stellar mass distribution (without invoking stellar populations models) and(ii) the inner dark matter halo mass. We argue that these two measurements arecrucial to testing models of ME formation, as the stellar mass profile providesa diagnostic of baryonic accretion and feedback whilst the dark matter massplaces each galaxy in the context of LCDM large scale structure formation. Wealso detect large rotational offsets between the two stellar components and alopsidedness in their outer mass distributions, which hold further informationon the evolution of each ME. Finally, we discuss how this approach can beextended to galaxies of all Hubble types and what implication our results havefor studies of strong gravitational lensing.

Galaxy structure with strong gravitational lensing: decomposing the internal mass distribution of massive elliptical galaxies