Neutron Stars as Gravitational Lenses
Dr. Feryal Ozel
Institute for Advanced Study
4:15-5:15 Tuesday
February 4,
2003
Abstract
Owing to their strong gravitational field, neutron stars lens the
emission originating at their own surfaces. I will discuss several
phenomena that affect a photon's journey away from a slowly or rapidly
rotating star. I will then show the self-lensing effects that can be
observed in the spectra and lightcurves of isolated and accreting neutron
stars and discuss how they can be used to infer their masses and emission
geometries.