A new approach to gravitational microlensing - Time delays and the galactic mass distribution

Details A new approach to gravitational microlensing - Time delays and the galactic mass distribution A new approach to gravitational microlensing - Time delays and the galactic mass distribution

Sep 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991apj...378...22k&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 378, Sept. 1, 1991, p. 22-29.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

27

Dark Matter, Galactic Mass, Gravitational Lenses, Halos, Pulsars, Radio Stars, Luminous Intensity, Quasars, Time Lag

Scientific paper

Gravitational lensing of distant sources by massive compact objects such as stars produces multiple images which are too closely spaced to resolve. The combined image can be magnified however, resulting in an increase in apparent luminosity. This has been thought to be the sole signature for such 'microlensing' events. Here, a new signature is proposed which may be more sensitive and could give an unambiguous determination of the mass of the lensing object, independent of its distance. A time delay between the superposed images on the order of microseconds to milliseconds will occur for lensing by objects in the Galaxy. This might be measurable in sources such as radio pulsars, some stars, and perhaps even supernovae. Microlensing probabilities are calculated from objects in the Galactic disk and bulge, and also halo objects such as massive stars or large black holes which may contribute significantly to the dark matter in the Galaxy. It is suggested that a study of such time delays could resolve many features of the mass distribution of luminous and dark matter in the Galaxy and might even provide new tests of general relativity.

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