microlensingn.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˌlɛnzɪŋ/, /ˌmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˈlɛnzɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈˌmaɪkroʊˈˌlɛnzɪŋ/ Astronomy.
The refraction of electromagnetic radiation by the gravitational field of a single star or planet. Cf. macrolensing n.
ΚΠ
1986 B. Paczyński in Astrophysical Jrnl. 301 503/1 Throughout this paper the terms ‘macrolensing’ and ‘microlensing’ will be used to describe the effect of a galaxy as a whole and the effect of individual stars, respectively.
1988 Nature 28 July 327/1 We expect the total probability for micro-lensing to be higher in this system than in any of the other known cases of gravitational lensing.
1999 Independent 15 Jan. ii. 9/1 Called ‘gravitational microlensing’, this technique relies on the fact that light passing close to a massive object will be bent by a degree related to its mass.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
microlensingadj.
/ˈmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˌlɛnzɪŋ/, /ˌmʌɪkrə(ʊ)ˈlɛnzɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈˌmaɪkroʊˈˌlɛnzɪŋ/ That microlenses.
ΚΠ
1986 B. Paczyński in Astrophysical Jrnl. 301 507/2 M is the mass of microlensing stars.
1993 Nature 18 Nov. 244/1 The distance over which the microlensing object significantly influences the light from the source is known as the Einstein radius.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1986adj.1986