1994/09/22 by Andrew Gould · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/175812
published as Astrophys.J. 446 (1995) 541 · 8 pages, no figures, PostScript file, or request PostScript file to [email protected], OSU-TA-20/94
arxiv created 1994/09/22 · openalex publication_date 1995/06/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
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 (noncompact) star, the optical depth to lensing is extremely low, τ ≲ υ<SUB>esc</SUB><SUP>4</SUP>/c<SUP>4</SUP> ∼10<SUP>-11</SUP>. Here υ<SUB>esc</SUB> 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.