FRBs Lensed by Point Masses II. The multi-peaked FRBs from the point view of microlensing

TL;DR

This paper develops an algorithm to resolve individual microimages in microlensed fast radio bursts, revealing multi-peaked signals that can be used to study stellar mass distributions in distant galaxies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for analyzing temporally resolved microlensing of FRBs, enabling the identification of microimages and their effects on observed signals.

Findings

Microimages produce multi-peaked FRB light curves.

Time delays between microimages are 0.1-1 ms, detectable by current telescopes.

Microlensing of FRBs will become common with future high-rate surveys.

Abstract

The microlensing effect has developed into a powerful technique for a diverse range of applications including exoplanet discoveries, structure of the Milky Way, constraints on MAssive Compact Halo Objects, and measurements of the size and profile of quasar accretion discs. In this paper, we consider a special type of microlensing events where the sources are fast radio bursts with $\sim$milliseconds (ms) durations for which the relative motion between the lens and source is negligible. In this scenario, it is possible to temporally resolve the individual microimages. As a result, a method beyond the inverse ray shooting (IRS) method, which only evaluates the total magnification of all microimages, is needed. We therefore implement an algorithm for identifying individual microimages and computing their magnifications and relative time delays. We validate our algorithm by comparing to analytical predictions for a single microlens case and find excellent agreement. We show that the superposition of pulses from individual microimages produces a light curve that appears as multi-peaked FRBs. The relative time delays between pulses can reach 0.1--1 ms for stellar-mass lenses and hence can already be resolved temporally by current facilities. Although not yet discovered, microlensing of FRBs will become regular events and surpass the number of quasar microlensing events in the near future when $10^{4-5}$ FRBs are expected to be discovered on a daily basis. Our algorithm provides a way of generating the microlensing light curve that can be used for constraining stellar mass distribution in distant galaxies.