Gravitational lensing statistics of amplified supernovae

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/165937· OSTI ID:5275189

Linder, E V; Wagoner, R V; Schneider, P

Amplification statistics of gravitationally lensed supernovae can provide a valuable probe of the lensing matter in the universe. A general probability distribution for amplification by compact objects is derived which allows calculation of the lensed fraction of supernovae at or greater than an amplification A and at or less than an apparent magnitude. Comparison of the computed fractions with future results from ongoing supernova searches can lead to determination of the mass density of compact dark matter components with masses greater than about 0.001 solar mass, while the time-dependent amplification (and polarization) of the expanding supernovae constrain the individual masses. Type II supernovae are found to give the largest fraction for deep surveys, and the optimum flux-limited search is found to be at approximately 23d magnitude, if evolution of the supernova rate is neglected. 48 references.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (USA); Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO (USA); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Garching (Germany, F.R.)
• OSTI ID: 5275189
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 324; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AMPLIFICATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMOLOGY
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
GRAVITATIONAL LENSES
LENSES
MASS
MATHEMATICS
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
QUASARS
STARS
STATISTICS
SUPERNOVAE
UNIVERSE
VARIABLE STARS