Open AccessThe ray‐bundle method for calculating weak magnification by gravitational lenses
Author(s) -
Fluke C. J.,
Webster R. L.,
Mortlock Daniel J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02534.x
Subject(s) - physics , bundle , magnification , gravitational lens , gravitational lensing formalism , limit (mathematics) , gravitation , bundle adjustment , weak gravitational lensing , optics , astrophysics , classical mechanics , mathematical analysis , galaxy , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematics , image (mathematics) , materials science , redshift , composite material
We present here an alternative method for calculating magnifications in gravitational lensing calculations – the ray‐bundle method. We provide a detailed comparison of the distribution of magnifications obtained by this method with those obtained through analytic results and conventional ray‐shooting methods. The ray‐bundle method provides high accuracy in the weak lensing limit, and is computationally much faster than (non‐hierarchical) ray‐shooting methods of a comparable accuracy. The ray‐bundle method is a powerful and efficient technique with which to study gravitational lensing within realistic cosmological models, particularly in the weak lensing limit.