Analysis of optical light curves for the components of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 based on observations with the 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope in 2001-2005

We present the R c-band light curves for components A and B of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 obtained during 2001–2005 with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT-150) at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey). Based on an analysis of the data for the period 2001–2002, we have estimated the time delay of the brightness fluctuations between components A and B of the quasar to be 128 days. This time delay agrees with its previously published values for the periods 1999–2001 and 2003–2004. Using all of the published data on the brightnesses of components A and B of SBS 1520+530 for the 6-year period, we have found at least two microlensing events. One event has the pattern of a long-term linear trend; the duration of the other event is several hundred days.