Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes
A moving mass makes a gravitational wake in the partially ionized interstellar medium, which acts as a lens for radio-frequency light. Consequently, plasma microlensing could complement gravitational microlensing in the search for invisible massive objects, such as stellar remnants or compact dark m...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad96b1 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850253434125549568 |
|---|---|
| author | M. Sten Delos |
| author_facet | M. Sten Delos |
| author_sort | M. Sten Delos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A moving mass makes a gravitational wake in the partially ionized interstellar medium, which acts as a lens for radio-frequency light. Consequently, plasma microlensing could complement gravitational microlensing in the search for invisible massive objects, such as stellar remnants or compact dark matter. This work explores the spatial structure of the plasma lens associated with a gravitational wake. Far away from the moving mass, the characteristic lensing signal is the steady demagnification or magnification of a radio source as the wake passes in front of it at the speed of sound. Sources can be plasma-lensed at a much greater angular distance than they could be gravitationally lensed to the same degree by the same object. However, only the wakes of objects greatly exceeding stellar mass are expected to dominate over the random turbulence in the interstellar medium. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1a89298c037d4ae7a3b63d2bb60f2e72 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1a89298c037d4ae7a3b63d2bb60f2e722025-08-20T01:57:24ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-0197817110.3847/1538-4357/ad96b1Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational WakesM. Sten Delos0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3808-5321Carnegie Observatories , 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA ; mdelos@carnegiescience.eduA moving mass makes a gravitational wake in the partially ionized interstellar medium, which acts as a lens for radio-frequency light. Consequently, plasma microlensing could complement gravitational microlensing in the search for invisible massive objects, such as stellar remnants or compact dark matter. This work explores the spatial structure of the plasma lens associated with a gravitational wake. Far away from the moving mass, the characteristic lensing signal is the steady demagnification or magnification of a radio source as the wake passes in front of it at the speed of sound. Sources can be plasma-lensed at a much greater angular distance than they could be gravitationally lensed to the same degree by the same object. However, only the wakes of objects greatly exceeding stellar mass are expected to dominate over the random turbulence in the interstellar medium.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad96b1Interstellar mediumDark matterBlack holesInterstellar scintillationAstrophysical fluid dynamicsAnalytical mathematics |
| spellingShingle | M. Sten Delos Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes The Astrophysical Journal Interstellar medium Dark matter Black holes Interstellar scintillation Astrophysical fluid dynamics Analytical mathematics |
| title | Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes |
| title_full | Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes |
| title_fullStr | Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes |
| title_short | Detecting Dark Objects with Plasma Microlensing by Their Gravitational Wakes |
| title_sort | detecting dark objects with plasma microlensing by their gravitational wakes |
| topic | Interstellar medium Dark matter Black holes Interstellar scintillation Astrophysical fluid dynamics Analytical mathematics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad96b1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mstendelos detectingdarkobjectswithplasmamicrolensingbytheirgravitationalwakes |