Microlensing with the space interferometer Radioastron

Abstract

For microlensing case angular distances between images or typical astrometric shifts due to microlensing are about $10^{-5}-10^{-6} μas$. Such an angular resolution will be reached with the space space--ground interferometer Radioastron. The basic targets for microlensing searches should be bright point-like radio sources at cosmological distances. In this case, an analysis of their variability and a solid determination of microlensing could lead to an estimation of their cosmological mass density, moreover, in this case one could not exclude a possibility that non-baryonic dark matter also form microlenses if the corresponding optical depth will be high enough. To search for microlensing the most perspective objects are gravitational lensed systems as usually, like CLASS gravitational lens B1600+434, for instance. However, for direct resolving these images and direct detection of apparent motion of the knots, a Radioastron sensitivity have to be improved, since an estimated flux density is too low and to observe the phenomena one should improve sensitivity in 10 times at 6 cm wavelength, for instance, otherwise, it is necessary to increase an integration time (assuming that a radio source has a typical core -- jet structure and microlensing phenomenon is caused superluminal apparent motion of knots). Therefore, a launch of space interferometer Radioastron will give new excellent facilities to investigate microlensing in radio band, since in this case there is a possibility not only to resolve microimages but also observe astrometric microlensing.