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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Astrophysics and Astronomy

ETSU Faculty Works

Series

2006

Circumstellar Envelopes

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

The Polarization Signature From Microlensing Of Circumstellar Envelopes In Caustic Cossing Events, Richard Ignace, J. Bjorkman, H. Bryce Feb 2006

The Polarization Signature From Microlensing Of Circumstellar Envelopes In Caustic Cossing Events, Richard Ignace, J. Bjorkman, H. Bryce

ETSU Faculty Works

In recent years, it has been shown that microlensing is a powerful tool for examining the atmospheres of stars in the Galactic bulge and Magellanic Clouds. The high gradient of magnification across the source during both small impact parameter events and caustic crossings offers a unique opportunity for determining the surface brightness profile of the source. Furthermore, models indicate that these events can also provide an appreciable polarization signal: arising from differential magnification across the otherwise symmetric source. Earlier work has addressed the signal from a scattering photosphere for both point mass lenses and caustic crossings. In a previous paper, …