Gravitational Lensing and Redshift

AI Thread Summary
Gravitational lensing allows light from distant objects to bend around massive bodies, but it does not affect the redshift of the lensed images. When a photon enters a gravitational field, it experiences a blue shift, and upon exiting, it is redshifted by the same amount, resulting in no net change in redshift due to the lensing body. The discussion confirms that intervening matter does not influence the redshift of the light. A question arises about whether there is enough space in the local group to measure a difference in cosmological redshift between lensed images and those viewed through unobstructed space. Overall, gravitational lensing primarily alters the path of light without impacting its redshift.
SHISHKABOB
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hi there, I was just at a seminar in which the speaker was talking about using gravitational lensing to investigate galaxy clusters

my question is pretty simple: is there any effect on the redshift of the image of an object which is "lensed" by the gravitational lensing phenomenon? I would imagine that it would not, because all that's going on is bending of the path that the light is taking. However, I am not very well educated on the topic, and perhaps there are things that I am not taking into account.
 
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A photon is blue shifted as it enters a gravitational field, then redshifted by the same amount as it exits. Intervening matter [i.e., a lensing body] has no effect.
 
Chronos said:
A photon is blue shifted as it enters a gravitational field, then redshifted by the same amount as it exits. Intervening matter [i.e., a lensing body] has no effect.

Is this because the force of the gravity on the photon as it enters the gravitational field 'pulls' the photon inward, thus shortening the wavelength and blueshifting it? And as it leaves the gravitational field, the gravity is pulling on it, which causes the wavelength to increase, thus redshifting it?
 
Light Bearer said:
Is this because the force of the gravity on the photon as it enters the gravitational field 'pulls' the photon inward, thus shortening the wavelength and blueshifting it? And as it leaves the gravitational field, the gravity is pulling on it, which causes the wavelength to increase, thus redshifting it?

Pretty much, yes.
 
Chronos said:
A photon is blue shifted as it enters a gravitational field, then redshifted by the same amount as it exits. Intervening matter [i.e., a lensing body] has no effect.

thanks
 
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