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Chapter 11 - Relativistic Gravity in Action
from Part II - The Curved Spacetimes of General Relativity
James B. Hartle, University of California, Santa Barbara
Book:

Gravity

Published online:

03 September 2021

Print publication:

24 June 2021, pp 234-254
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Summary

The orbits of test particles and light rays in the Schwarzschild geometry that were worked out in Chapter 9 are not only important for the delicate tests of general relativity in the solar system discussed in Chapter 10. They are also central to a number of astrophysical applications. This chapter introduces three of these applications – gravitational lensing, relativistic frequency shifts from accretion disks, and weighing stars in binary pulsars, which act both as a laboratory for general relativity and and a tool for astronomy. Some tests of Einstein’s theory were the subject of the previous chapter; some of its applications are the subject of this.

Exoplanet Searches in the Habitable Zone with Gravitational Microlensing
Alexander F. Zakharov, Gabriele Ingrosso, Francesco De Paolis, Achille A. Nucita, Francesco Strafella, Sebastiano Calchi Novati, Philippe Jetzer
Journal:

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union / Volume 8 / Issue S293 / August 2012

Published online by Cambridge University Press:

29 April 2014, pp. 36-38

Print publication:

August 2012
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There are different methods for finding exoplanets such as radial spectral shifts, astrometrical measurements, transits, timing, etc. Gravitational microlensing (including pixel-lensing) is among the most promising techniques with the potential of detecting Earth-like planets at distances about a few astronomical units from their host stars. Here we emphasize the importance of polarization measurements which can help to resolve degeneracies in theoretical models. In particular, the polarization angle could give additional information about the relative position of the lens with respect to the source.

Scintillations And Microlensing
D.B. Melrose
Journal:

Symposium - International Astronomical Union / Volume 173 / 1996

Published online by Cambridge University Press:

25 May 2016, pp. 269-274

Print publication:

1996
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It is shown how the theory of scintillation may be applied to treat gravitational lensing. The theory is applied to microlensing by a system of N point masses. It is shown that scintillation theory reproduces a known result for the angular broadening due to multiple microlensing. Some unresolved differences between scintillation and microlensing theories for intensity fluctuations are pointed out.