Microlensing of Strongly Lensed Quasars
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11214_2024_Article_1043.pdf
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9.94 MB
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Checksum (MD5)
69563dd81e12c7cab99a38d8f693299a
Author(s)
Vernardos, G.
Sluse, D.
Pooley, D.
Schmidt, R. W.
Millon, M.
Weisenbach, L.
Motta, V.
Anguita, T.
Saha, P.
O’Dowd, M.
Date Issued
February 7, 2024
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Citation
Space Science Reviews. 2024 Feb 07;220(1):14
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Strong gravitational lensing of quasars has the potential to unlock the poorly understood physics of these fascinating objects, as well as serve as a probe of the lensing mass distribution and of cosmological parameters. In particular, gravitational microlensing by compact bodies in the lensing galaxy can enable mapping of quasar structure to
<
10
−
6
$<10^{-6}$
arcsec scales. Some of this potential has been realized over the past few decades, however the upcoming era of large sky surveys promises to bring this promise to full fruition. In this article, we review the theoretical framework of this field, describe the prominent current methods for parameter inference from quasar microlensing data across different observing modalities, and discuss the constraints so far derived on the geometry and physics of quasar inner structure. We also review the application of strong lensing and microlensing to constraining the granularity of the lens potential, i.e. the contribution of the baryonic and dark matter components, and the local mass distribution in the lens, i.e. the stellar mass function. Finally, we discuss the future of the field, including the new possibilities that will be opened by the next generation of large surveys and by new analysis methods now being developed.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
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Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-024-01043-8
