A Note on the Overall Magnification of a Gravitational Point-Source—Point-Lens System
Abstract
The total magnification due to a point lens has been of particular interest as the theorem that gravitational lensing results in light amplification for all observers appears to contradict the conservation of photon number. This has been discussed several times, and various resolutions have been offered. In this note, we use a kinematic approach to provide a formula for the magnification factor for the primary image accurate to first order and valid for rays leaving the source at any trajectory. We thus determine the magnification over a sphere surrounding the system. A new result found is that while the magnification dips below unity far from the optical axis as noted by others, it returns to unity directly behind the source.
- Publication:
-
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
- Pub Date:
- November 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1017/pasa.2015.46
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1510.05346
- Bibcode:
- 2015PASA...32...44W
- Keywords:
-
- gravitation;
- gravitational lensing: micro;
- methods: numerical;
- acceleration of particles;
- gravitational lensing: strong;
- Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics;
- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
- E-Print:
- 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia