Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability

Details Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability

May 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995apj...444l..13b&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 444, no. 1, p. L13-L15

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

16

Accretion Disks, Dark Matter, Gravitational Lenses, Quasars, Red Shift, Variability, Mass Distribution, Statistical Correlation, Ultraviolet Radiation, Viscosity, Visible Spectrum

Scientific paper

In a recent Letter to Nature, Hawkins presents a statistical analysis of about 300 quasar light curves which appears to indicate that high-redshift quasar variability is the result of microlensing by intervening compact substellar-mass objects (i.e., brown dwarfs). This contradicts the general belief that high-redshift quasar variability is predominantly intrinsic. Furthermore, Hawkins states that the density of lensing objects required to produce the observed light curves must be at least 0.1 of the critical density needed to close the universe. Thus a prominent constiuent of the total mass of the universe would be in the form of brown dwarf-sized baryonic dark matter, rather than the more exotic particles being proposed by theoretical particle physicists to explain the 'dark matter' problem. In this Letter, we describe how two well-known effects can be combined to account for Hawkins's observations within the context of intrinsic variability models. We show that observed timescales of intrinsic quasar variability at a fixed observed wavelength should not be expected to correlate linearly with (1 + z), contrary to common perception. We conclude that the evidence at this time does not require the gravitational microlensing hypothesis to explain high-redshift quasar variability.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Gravitational microlensing is not required to explain quasar variability will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1058719