No Arabic abstract
We continue our investigation of the optical properties of the solar gravitational lens (SGL). We treat the Sun as an extended axisymmetric body and model its gravitational field using zonal harmonics. We consider a point source that is positioned at a large but finite distance from the Sun and, using our new angular eikonal method, we established the electro-magnetic (EM) field on the image plane in the focal region behind the SGL and derive the SGLs impulse response in the form of its point-spread function (PSF). The expression that we derive describes the extended Sun in all regions of interest, including the regions of strong and weak interference and the region of geometric optics. The result is in the form of a single integral with respect to the azimuthal angle of the impact parameter, covering all lensing regimes of the SGL. The same expression can be used to describe gravitational lensing by a compact axisymmetric mass distribution, characterized by small deviations from spherical symmetry. It is valid in all lensing regimes. We also derive results that describe the intensity of light observed by an imaging telescope in the focal region. We present results of numerical simulations showing the view by a telescope that moves in the image plane toward the optical axis. We consider imaging of both point and extended sources. We show that while point sources yield a number of distinct images consistent with the caustics due to zonal harmonics of a particular order (e.g., Einstein cross), extended sources always result in the formation of an Einstein ring. These results represent the most comprehensive wave-theoretical treatment of gravitational lensing in the weak gravitational field of a compact axisymmetric gravitating object.
Gravitational lens models with negative convergence(surface mass density projected onto the lens plane) inspired by modified gravity theories, exotic matter and energy have been recently discussed in such a way that a static and spherically-symmetric modified spacetime metric depends on the inverse distance to the power of positive $n$(n=1 for Schwarzschild metric, n=2 for Ellis wormhole) in the weak-field approximation [Kitamura, Nakajima and Asada, PRD 87, 027501 (2013)], and it has been shown that demagnification of images could occur for $n>1$ lens models associated with exotic matter (and energy), though they cause the gravitational pull on light rays. The present paper considers gravitational lensing shear by the demagnifying lens models and other models such as negative-mass compact objects causing the gravitational repulsion on light rays like a concave lens. It is shown that images by the lens models for the gravitational pull are tangentially elongated, whereas those by the repulsive ones are radially distorted. This feature of lensed image shapes may be used for searching(or constraining) localized exotic matter or energy with gravitational lensing surveys. It is suggested also that an underdense region such as a cosmic void might produce radially elongated images of background galaxies rather than tangential ones.
This paper reviews a phenomenological approach to the gravitational lensing by exotic objects such as the Ellis wormhole lens, where exotic lens objects may follow a non-standard form of the equation of state or may obey a modified gravity theory. A gravitational lens model is proposed in the inverse powers of the distance, such that the Schwarzschild lens and exotic lenses can be described in a unified manner as a one parameter family. As observational implications, the magnification, shear, photo-centroid motion and time delay in this lens model are discussed.
We study gravitational lensing by a generic extended mass distribution. For that, we consider the diffraction of electromagnetic (EM) waves by an extended, weakly aspherical, gravitating object. We account for the static gravitational field of this lens by representing its exterior potential in the most generic form, expressed via an infinite set of symmetric trace free (STF) tensor multipole mass moments. This yields the most general form of the gravitational phase shift, which allows for a comprehensive description of the optical properties of a generic gravitational lens. We found that at each order of the STF moments, the gravitational phase shift is characterized by only two parameters: a magnitude and a rotation angle that characterize the corresponding caustics, which form in the point spread function (PSF) of the lens. Both of these parameters are uniquely expressed in terms of the transverse-trace free (TT) projections of the multipole moments on the lens plane. Not only does this result simplifies the development of physically consistent models of realistic lenses, it also drastically reduces the number of required parameters in the ultimate model. To gain physical insight and to help with the interpretation of the results obtained, we established the correspondence of the gravitational phase shift expressed via the TT-projected STF multipole mass moments and its representation via spherical harmonics. For axisymmetric mass distributions, the new results are consistent with those that we obtained in previous studies. For arbitrary mass distributions, our results are novel and offer new insight into gravitational lensing by realistic astrophysical systems. These findings are discussed in the context of ongoing astrophysical gravitational lensing investigations as well as observations that are planned with the solar gravitational lens (SGL).
We continue our study of the optical properties of the solar gravitational lens (SGL). Taking the next step beyond representing it as an idealized monopole, we now characterize the gravitational field of the Sun using an infinite series of multipole moments. We consider the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves in this gravitational field within the first post-Newtonian approximation of the general theory of relativity. The problem is formulated within the Mie diffraction theory. We solve Maxwells equations for the EM wave propagating in the background of a static gravitational field of an extended gravitating body, while accounting for multipole contributions. Using a wave-theoretical approach and the eikonal approximation, we find an exact closed form solution for the Debye potentials and determine the EM field at an image plane in the strong interference region of the lens. The resulting EM field is characterized by a new diffraction integral. We study this solution and show how the presence of multipoles affects the optical properties of the lens, resulting in distinct diffraction patterns. We identify the gravitational deflection angle with the individual contributions due to each of the multipoles. Treating the Sun as an extended, axisymmetric, rotating body, we show that each zonal harmonics causes light to diffract into an area whose boundary is a caustic of a particular shape. The appearance of the caustics modifies the point-spread function (PSF) of the lens, thus affecting its optical properties. The new wave-theoretical solution allows the study gravitational lensing by a realistic lens that possesses an arbitrary number of gravitational multipoles. This {em angular eikonal method} represents an improved treatment of realistic gravitational lensing. It may be used for a wave-optical description of many astrophysical lenses.
Intermediate-mass black holes are the missing link that connects stellar-mass to supermassive black holes and are key to understanding galaxy evolution. Gravitational waves, like photons, can be lensed, leading to discernable effects such as diffraction or repeated signals. We investigate the detectability of intermediate-mass black hole deflectors in the LIGO-Virgo detector network. In particular, we simulate gravitational waves with variable source distributions lensed by an astrophysical population of intermediate-mass black holes, and use standard LIGO tools to infer the properties of these lenses. We find detections of intermediate-mass black holes at $98%$ confidence level over a wide range of binary and lens parameters. Therefore, we conclude that intermediate-mass black holes could be detected through lensing of gravitational waves in the LIGO-Virgo detector network.