Related papers: Self-Lensing By Binaries
The new photometric space-borne survey missions CoRoT and Kepler will be able to detect minute flux variations in binary stars due to relativistic beaming caused by the line-of-sight motion of their components. In all but very short period…
Weak gravitational lensing due to nearby structures, such as the Coma cluster, and the Local Supercluster can be expected to polarize images of distant galaxies by ${\cal O}(0.2%\Omega)$ with coherence over scales of tens of square degrees.…
I analyze several catalogs of known visual and spectroscopic binaries and conclude that a large number of binaries is missing in current catalogs. Samples of the best studied (nearby and bright) stars indicate that the true binary fraction…
A thorough search of the OGLE-III microlensing project has more than doubled the total sample of PNe known to have close binary central stars. These discoveries have enabled close binary induced morphological trends to be revealed for the…
Close, compact, hierarchical, multiple stellar systems, i.e., multiples having an outer orbital period from months to a few years, comprise a small, but continuously growing group of the triple and multiple star zoo. Many of them consist of…
We investigate the possibilities of searching for a self-conjugate polarizable particle in the self-interactions of light. We first observe that polarizability can arise either from the exchange of mediator states or as a consequence of the…
Observed magnitudes of many quasars with redshifts exceeding $z=5$ correspond to luminosities $L_{\rm bol} > 10^{14}\,L_\odot$. The standard mechanism of quasar energy release by accretion suggests that masses of superluminous quasars…
Among various techniques to search for extra-solar planets, microlensing has some unique characteristics. Contrary to all other methods which favour nearby objects, microlensing is sensitive to planets around stars at distances of several…
Compact binary coalescences are a promising source of gravitational waves for second-generation interferometric gravitational-wave detectors such as advanced LIGO and advanced Virgo. While most binaries are expected to possess circular…
We have compiled a catalogue of eclipsing variable stars, the largest catalogue, containing classified eclipsing binaries. A procedure for the classification of eclipsing binaries, based on the catalogued data, is also developed. It was…
Pixel lensing is gravitational microlensing of unresolved stars. The main target explored up to now has been the nearby galaxy of Andromeda, M31. The scientific issues of interest are the search for dark matter in form of compact halo…
High-redshift binary quasars provide key insights into mergers and quasar activity, and are useful tools for probing the spatial kinematics and chemistry of galaxies along the line-of-sight. However, only three sub-10-kpc binaries have been…
A brief summary of properties of the contact binaries is presented, with the goal to stress the unsolved problems of their formation and evolution as well as their potential contribution to studies of Galactic stellar populations. The first…
Due to their extremely small luminosity compared to the stars they orbit, planets outside our own Solar System are extraordinarily difficult to detect directly in optical light. Careful photometric monitoring of distant stars, however, can…
Binary supermassive black hole (SMBH) systems result from galaxy mergers, and will eventually coalesce due to gravitational wave (GW) emission if the binary separation can be reduced to $\lesssim 0.1$ pc by other mechanisms. Here, we…
We study gravitational lensing of gravitational waves from compact object binaries as a probe of compact dark matter (DM) objects such as primordial black holes. Assuming a point mass lens, we perform parameter estimation of lensed…
A particle orbiting a misaligned eccentric orbit binary undergoes nodal precession either around the binary angular momentum vector (a circulating orbit) or around a stationary inclination (a librating orbit). In the absence of general…
Strong lensing is one of the most direct probes of the mass distribution in the inner regions of galaxy clusters. It can be used to constrain the density profiles and to measure the mass of the lenses. Moreover, the abundance of strong…
Stars are generally spherical, yet their gaseous envelopes often appear non-spherical when ejected near the end of their lives. This quirk is most notable during the planetary nebula phase when these envelopes become ionized. Interactions…
We discuss the gravitational lensing of neutrinos by astrophysical objects. Unlike photons, neutrinos can cross a stellar core; as a result, the lens quality improves. We also estimate the depletion of the neutrino flux after crossing a…