Stellar-mass microlensing of gravitational waves

ABSTRACT When gravitational waves (GWs) pass through the nuclear star clusters of galactic lenses, they may be microlensed by stars. Such microlensing can cause potentially observable beating patterns on waveform due to superposition and magnify signal. On one hand, magnification could lead first detection a GW. other introduces systematic error in strong lensing use-cases, such as localization cosmography studies. By numerically solving diffraction integral, we show that effects are important when consider GWs LIGO frequency band lensed objects with masses $\lesssim 100 \, \rm M_\odot$. We also galaxy hosting microlenses changes configuration qualitatively, so cannot treat isolated point mass lenses is involved. find for stellar $\sim \! 1 M_\odot$, significantly suppress magnification. Thus, our results suggest typical or cluster offer relatively clean environment study lens system, free contamination which advantageous