Microlens masses from astrometry and parallax in space-based surveys: From planets to black holes

Abstract

We show that space-based microlensing experiments can recover lens masses and distances for a large fraction of all events (those with individual photometric errors ≲ 0.01 mag) using a combination of one-dimensional microlens parallaxes and astrometric microlensing. This will provide a powerful probe of the mass distributions of planets, black holes, and neutron stars, the distribution of planets as a function of Galactic environment, and the velocity distributions of black holes and neutron stars. While systematics are in principle a significant concern, we show that it is possible to vet against all systematics (known and unknown) using single-epoch precursor observations with the Hubble Space Telescope roughly 10 years before the space mission. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.