Eclipsing negative-parity image of gravitational microlensing by a giant-lens star [EPA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1601.07759


Gravitational Microlensing has been used as a powerful tool for astrophysical studies and exoplanet detections. In the gravitational microlensing, we have two images with negative and positive parities. The negative-parity image is a fainter image and is produced at closer angular separation with respect to the lens star. In the case of a giant-lens star and large impact parameter of lensing, this image can be eclipsed by the lens star. The result would be dimming the flux receiving from the combination of source and lens star and the light curve resembles to an eclipsing binary system. In this work, we introduce this phenomenon and propose an observational procedure for detecting this eclipse. The follow-up microlensing telescopes with lucky imaging equipment can produce high quality images from events with reddish sources and large blending and confirm whether the blending is due to the lens star. After conforming a red-giant lens star, we can use defocusing method in the telescopes and detect the relative flux change in the order of $10^{-5}$ to observe the negative-parity image eclipsing.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Rahvar
Fri, 29 Jan 16
4/52

Comments: 6 pages, 6 figures