Empirical microlensing event rates predicted by a phenomenological model

TL;DR

This paper presents a phenomenological model to empirically predict microlensing event rates in the Galactic bulge, aiding in the planning of space-based microlensing surveys by using star observation statistics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to reliably estimate microlensing event rates from star statistics, facilitating better planning of resource-constrained space missions.

Findings

Event rate estimates align with observed data

Method simplifies planning for future surveys

Applicable to various observational fields

Abstract

Estimating the number of microlensing events observed in different parts of the Galactic bulge is a crucial point in planning microlensing experiments. Reliable estimates are especially important if observing resources are scarce, as is the case for space missions: K2, WFIRST, and Euclid. Here we show that the number of detected events can be reliably estimated based on statistics of stars observed in targeted fields. The statistics can be estimated relatively easily, which makes presented method suitable for planning future microlensing experiments.