Wave Effects in Double-Plane Lensing

TL;DR

This paper explores wave optical effects in gravitational lens systems with two point masses in different planes, emphasizing the complexity and variability of amplification factors across diverse configurations.

Contribution

It provides a preliminary analysis of parameter space in two-plane gravitational lensing, highlighting the need for case-by-case studies due to system complexity.

Findings

Amplification factors vary significantly with system parameters.

Generalized statements about amplification are not feasible.

Case-by-case analysis is recommended for multi-plane lensing.

Abstract

We discuss the wave optical effects in gravitational lens systems with two point mass lenses in two different lens planes. We identify and vary parameters (i.e., lens masses, related distances, and their alignments) related to the lens system to investigate their effects on the amplification factor. We find that due to a large number of parameters, it is not possible to make generalized statements regarding the amplification factor. We conclude by noting that the best approach to study two-plane and multi-plane lensing is to study various possible lens systems case by case in order to explore the possibilities in the parameter space instead of hoping to generalize the results of a few test cases. We present a preliminary analysis of the parameter space for a two-lens system here.