Gravitational lens time delays and gravitational waves

Using Fermat's principle, we analyze the effects of very long wavelength gravitational waves upon the images of a gravitationally lensed quasar. We show that the lens equation in the presence of gravity waves is equivalent to that of a lens with a different alignment between source, deflector,...

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Autores principales: Frieman, J.A., Harari, D.D., Surpi, G.C.
Formato: JOUR
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_05562821_v50_n8_p4895_Frieman
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Sumario:Using Fermat's principle, we analyze the effects of very long wavelength gravitational waves upon the images of a gravitationally lensed quasar. We show that the lens equation in the presence of gravity waves is equivalent to that of a lens with a different alignment between source, deflector, and observer in the absence of gravity waves. Contrary to a recent claim, we conclude that measurements of time delays in gravitational lenses cannot serve as a method to detect or constrain a stochastic background of gravitational waves of cosmological wavelengths, because the wave-induced time delay is observationally indistinguishable from an intrinsic time delay due to the lens geometry. © 1994 The American Physical Society.