I present a novel method for measuring lens masses for microlensing events. By combining a measured lens flux with the microlens parallax vector pi_E, it is possible to derive the mass of the lens system without knowing the angular size of the Einstein ring, theta_E. This enables mass and distance measurements for single, luminous lenses, as well as binary and planetary lenses without caustic crossings. I discuss applications of this method in the contexts of the Spitzer, Kepler, and WFIRST microlensing missions.
@article{arxiv.1509.05043,
title = {Lens Masses and Distances from Microlens Parallax and Flux},
author = {Jennifer C. Yee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1509.05043},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
9 pages, 2 figures, submitted to ApJ Letters; minor corrections made in response to comments from the community