X-Ray Microlensing of Bright Quasars

Abstract

We calculate the expected microlens light curves to see what aspects of flow structures can be extracted by microlensing.We specifically pick up a disk-corona model as a model for bright quasars.We then expect distinct behaviour in the soft and hard X-ray microlens variations. Since soft X-ray emission is produced by Compton up-scattering of soft (optical-UV) photons from the innermost part of the disk, while hard X-ray radiation is via bremsstrahlung within the corona of a large volume, the model calculations predict more rapid soft X-ray changes than hard X-ray ones. Further, bright spots (or blobs) on the disk will produce humps in the microlens light curves. Future microlens observations will constrain such emission processes, thereby probing accretion flow structure.