Self-Lensing By Binaries

Abstract

Lensing of one member of a binary by its companion is studied for several classes of binaries. For binaries in which at least one member is an ordinary (non-compact) star, the optical depths to lensing is extremely low, $τ\lsim v_\esc^4/c^4\sim 10^{-11}$. Here $v_\esc$ is the escape velocity from the component with the weaker potential. Binaries composed of two compact objects can have higher optical depths. About 0.2\% of millisecond pulsar binaries will be self-lensing. Such objects can be used to probe the pulsar-emission mechanism.

8 pages, no figures, PostScript file, or request PostScript file to [email protected], OSU-TA-20/94

Cited by in corpus (13)

• Kepler observations of the beaming binary KPD 1946+4340
• KOI-3278: A Self-Lensing Binary Star System
• Microlensing
• Near-Field Microlensing and Its Effects on Stellar Transit Observations by Kepler
• Gravitational lensing in eclipsing binary stars
• Prospects of Finding Detached Black Hole-Star Binaries with TESS
• Gravitational Microlensing I: A Unique Astrophysical Tool
• Predicting the self-lensing population in optical surveys
• Detection of compact objects by means of gravitational lensing in binary systems
• Composite profile of the Fe K$\alpha$ spectral line emitted from a binary system of supermassive black holes
• Self-Microlensing in Compact Binary Systems
• Apparently ultra-long period radio sources from self-lensed pulsar-black hole binaries
• Constraining the environment of compact binary mergers with self-lensing signatures