Related papers: Correction for Blending Problem in Gravitational M…
We investigate $HST$/ACS and WFPC2 images at the positions of five candidate microlensing events from a large survey of variability in M31 (MEGA). Three closely match unresolved sources, and two produce only flux upper limits. All are…
Microlensing of stars in strongly lensed galaxies can lead to temporary extreme magnification factors ($\mu\!>\!1000$), enabling their detection at high redshifts. Following the discovery of Icarus, several stars at cosmological distances…
Highly magnified stars ($\mu$ $>$ 100) are now outinely identified as transient events at cosmological distances thanks to microlensing by intra-cluster stars near the critical curves of galaxy clusters. Using the {\it James Webb} Space…
Blended light is an important source of degeneracy in the characterization of microlensing events, particularly in binary-lens and high magnification events. We show how the techniques of image subtraction can be applied to form an image of…
In order to use a gravitational lens to measure the Hubble constant accurately, it is necessary to derive a reliable model of the lens surface potential. If the analysis is restricted to the locations and magnifications of point images, the…
We reexamine the usefulness of fitting blended lightcurve models to microlensing photometric data. We find agreement with previous workers (e.g. Wozniak & Paczynski) that this is a difficult proposition because of the degeneracy of blend…
The time delay between the arrival of photons of multiple images of time variable sources can be used to constrain absolute distances in the Universe (Refsdal 1964), and in turn obtain a direct estimate of the Hubble constant and other…
The gravitational fields of astrophysical bodies bend the light around them, creating multiple paths along which light from a distant source can arrive at Earth. Measuring the difference in photon arrival time along these different paths…
The main obstacle for gravitational lensing to determine accurate masses of deflectors, or to determine precise estimates for the Hubble constant, is the degeneracy of lensing observables with respect to the mass-sheet transformation (MST).…
With future wide and deep cosmological sky surveys, a large number of gravitationally lensed, multiply imaged systems will be found. In addition to multiply imaged galaxies and quasars, sources will include transient events like supernovae…
Present day estimates of the Hubble constant based on Cepheids and on the cosmic microwave background radiation are uncertain by roughly 10% (on the conservative assumption that the universe may not be PERFECTLY flat). Gravitational lens…
During microlensing events with a small impact parameter, the amplification of the source flux is sensitive to the surface brightness distribution of the source star. Such events provide a means for studying the surface structure of target…
Measured time delays between the images of a gravitationally lensed source can lead to a determination of the Hubble constant ($H_o$), but only if the lensing mass distribution is well understood. The inability to sufficiently constrain…
Quadruple gravitational lens systems offer the possibility of measuring time delays for image pairs, microlensing effects, and extinction in distant galaxies. Observations of these systems may be used to obtain estimates of H_o and to study…
Time delays in strong gravitational lensing systems possess significant complementarity with distance measurements to determine the dark energy equation of state, as well as the matter density and Hubble constant. Time delays are most…
Microlensing observations have now become a useful tool in searching for non--luminous astrophysical compact objects (brown dwarfs, faint stars, neutron stars, black holes and even planets). Originally conceived for establishing whether the…
Over the past decade, microlensing has developed into a powerful tool to study stellar astrophysics, especially stellar atmospheres, stellar masses, and binarity. I review this progress. Stellar atmospheres can be probed whenever the source…
We discuss the prospect of deblending microlensing events by observing astrometric shifts of the lensed stars. Since microlensing searches are generally performed in very crowded fields, it is expected that stars will be confusion limited…
Extended source effects can be seen in gravitational lensing events when sources cross critical lines. Those events probe the stellar intensity profile and could be used to measure limb darkening coefficients to test stellar model…
We investigate the possibility of measuring the Hubble constant, the fractional energy density components and the equation of state parameter of the ``dark energy'' using lensed multiple images of high-redshift supernovae. With future…