Gravitational Lensing in Inhomogeneous Universes

Abstract

I describe a new approach (developed in collaboration with D.E. Holz) to calculating the statistical distributions for magnification, shear, and rotation of images of cosmological sources due to gravitational lensing by mass inhomogeneities on galactic and smaller scales. Our approach is somewhat similar to that used in ``Swiss cheese'' models, but the ``cheese'' has been completely eliminated, the matter distribution in the ``voids'' need not be spherically symmetric, the total mass in each void need equal the corresponding Robertson-Walker mass only on average, and we do not impose an ``opaque radius'' cutoff. In our approach, we integrate the geodesic deviation equation backwards in time until the desired redshift is reached, using a Monte Carlo procedure wherein each photon beam in effect ``creates its own universe'' as it propagates. Our approach fully takes into account effects of multiple encounters with gravitational lenses and is much easier to apply than ``ray shooting'' methods.