Astrophysical Applications of Gravitational Lensing

Gravitational lenses offer the best, and sometimes the only, means of tackling key problems in many fields of astrophysics and cosmology. According to Einstein's theory, the curvature of light-rays increases with mass; gravitational lenses can be used to map the distribution of mass in a Universe in which virtually all matter is dark matter of an unknown nature. Gravitational lensing has significantly improved our knowledge of many astrophysical phenomena, such as exoplanets, galaxies, active galactic nuclei, quasars, clusters, large-scale structure and the Universe itself. All these topics are covered fully in this book, together with two tutorials on lens and microlensing modelling. The future of lensing in relation to large surveys and the anticipated discoveries of thousands more gravitational lenses is also discussed, making this volume an ideal guide for postgraduate students and practising researchers in the use of gravitational lenses as a tool in their investigations.

• Provides a wide-ranging and up-to-date overview of the subject
• Presents gravitational lensing as an essential tool in astrophysics, from exoplanet studies to cosmology
• Includes detailed information about the application of gravitational lensing to specific fields of research such as dark matter, galaxy structure, quasar accretion discs, exoplanets and cosmology