Gravitational Lenses
P. Schneider, J. Ehlers, E. E. Falco
Publisher: Springer Verlag
ISBN: 9780387970707
Summary: The theory, observations, and applications of gravitational lensing constitute one ofthe most rapidly growing branches of extragalactic astrophysics. The deflection of light from very distant sources by intervening masses provides a unique possibility for the investigation of both background sources and lens mass distributions. Gravitational lensing manifests itself most distinctly through multiply imaged QSOs and the formation of highly elongated im ages of distant galaxies (‘arcs’) and spectacular ring-like images of extra galactic radio sources. But the effects of gravitational light deflection are not limited to these prominent image configurations; more subtle, since not directly observable, consequences of lensing are the, possibly strong, mag nification of sources, which may permit observation of intrinsically fainter, or more distant, sources than would be visible without these natural telescopes.
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