Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

A short-timescale candidate microlensing event in the point-agape pixel lensing survey of M31

  • M. Auriere
  • , P. Baillon
  • , A. Bouquet
  • , B.J. Carr
  • , M. Creze
  • , N.W. Evans
  • , Y. Giraud-Heraud
  • , A. Gould
  • , P.C. Hewett
  • , J. Kaplan
  • , E. Kerins
  • , E. Lastennet
  • , Y. Le Du
  • , A.L. Melchior
  • , S.P. Henriksson
  • , Stephen Smartt
  • , D. Valls-Gabaud

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report the discovery of a short-duration microlensing candidate in the northern field of the POINT-AGAPE pixel lensing survey toward M31. Almost certainly, the source star has been identified on Hubble Space Telescope archival images, allowing us to infer an Einstein crossing time of t(E) = 10.4 days, a maximum magnification of A(max) similar to 18, and a lens-source proper motion mu (rel) > 0.3 mu as day(-1). The event has a projected separation of 8' from the center of M31, beyond the bulk of the stellar lens population. There are three plausible identifications/locations for the lensing object: a massive compact halo object (MACHO) in either M31 or the Milky Way, or a star in the M31 disk. The most probable mass is 0.06 M-. for an M31 MACHO, 0.02 M-. for a Milky Way MACHO, and 0.2 M-. for an M31 stellar lens. While the stellar interpretation is possible, the MACHO interpretation is the most probable for halo fractions above 20%.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L137-L140
Number of pages4
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume553
Issue number2 PART 2
Publication statusPublished - 01 Jun 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Space and Planetary Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A short-timescale candidate microlensing event in the point-agape pixel lensing survey of M31'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this