Related papers: Gravitational strings. Do we see one?
It is hoped that these lectures will give a point of entry into that vast web of related ideas that go under the name "string theory". I start with a more or less qualitative introduction to gravity as a field theory and sketch how one…
I present an overview of strong and weak gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters. After briefly introducing the principles of gravitational lensing, I discuss the main lessons learned from lensing on the mass distribution in clusters and…
The actions of the ``$R=T$'' and string-inspired theories of gravity in (1+1) dimensions are generalized into one single action which is characterized by two functions. We discuss differing interpretations of the matter stress-energy…
Gravitational lensing occurs as the path of light from distant celestial bodies is distorted due to gravitational attraction by other celestial bodies, whose mass is partly invisible, being so-called dark matter. When observed through a…
Linear superposition of gravitational fields is shown to be possible for a large class of spacetimes, in some specific coordinates. Explicit examples are presented.
Singularities of caustics appeared in gravitational lensing effect are discussed analytically. Multipole expansion model of lensing object is mainly studied since it is tractable and universal. Our analyses are confirmed by numerical…
It is shown that accurate photometric observations of a relatively high--magnification microlensing event ($A\gg 1$), occurring close to the line of sight of a gravitational wave (GW) source, represented by a binary star, can allow the…
We find a class of solutions of Einstein's field equations representing spacetime outside a spinning cosmic string surrounded by a gas of non-spinning cosmic strings, and show that there exist closed timelike geodesics in this spacetime.
These lectures give an introduction to Gravitational Lensing. We discuss lensing by point masses, lensing by galaxies, and lensing by clusters and larger-scale structures in the Universe. The relevant theory is developed and applications to…
I review the observations of gravitationally lensed quasars. These systems are important because they allow us to probe the properties of the lensing galaxies at various scales, and they also allow insights into the structures of the…
We discuss different formulations and approaches to string theory and $ 2d$ quantum gravity. The generic idea to get a unique description of {\it many} different string vacua altogether is demonstrated on the examples in $ 2d$ conformal,…
We investigate the spacetime of a spinning cosmic string in conformal invariant gravity, where the interior consists of a gauged scalar field. We find exact solutions of the exterior of a stationary spinning cosmic string, where we write…
The general properties of the gravity wave backgrounds of cosmological origin are reviewed and briefly discussed, with emphasis on the relic background expected from an early pre-big bang phase typical of string cosmology models.
Gravitational lensing is an invaluable probe of the nature of dark matter, and the structures it forms. Lensed gravitational waves in particular allow for unparalleled sensitivity to small scale structures within the lenses, due to the…
We discuss cosmic Nielsen-Olesen strings in space-times endowed with a positive cosmological constant. For the cylindrically symmetric, static free cosmic string, we discuss the contribution of the cosmological constant to the angle…
A connection between superfluidity and gravitation is established for physical stationary gravitational fields. We show that the spinning cosmic string metric describes the gravitational field associated with the single vortex in a…
String theory is a quantum theory that reproduces the results of General Relativity at long distances but is completely different at short distances. Mathematically, string theory is based on a very new -- and little understood -- framework…
Gravitational waves emitted by kinks on infinite strings are investigated using detailed estimations of the kink distribution on infinite strings. We find that gravitational waves from kinks can be detected by future pulsar timing…
Point particles fall freely along geodesics; strings do not. In string theory all probes of spacetime structure, including photons, are extended objects and therefore always subject to tidal forces. We illustrate how string theory modifies…
A special-relativistic scalar-vector theory of gravitation is presented which mimics an important class of solutions of Einstein's gravitational field equations. The theory includes solutions equivalent to Schwarzschild, Kerr,…