An optical n-body gravitational lens analogy

Abstract

Raised menisci around small discs positioned to pull up a water-air interface provide a highly controllable experimental setup capable of reproducing much of the rich phenomenology of gravitational lensing (or microlensing) by n-body clusters. Results are shown for single, binary, and triple mass systems. The scheme represents a versatile testbench for the (astro)physics of general relativity's gravitational lens effects, including high multiplicity imaging of extended sources.

Chemistry does general relativity: reaction-diffusion waves can model gravitational lensing

“…In 2021, Selmke used small disks placed in water for their optical GL analog. The surface tension of the water-air interface raised the menisci around the small discs, creating the necessary curvature for the light to bend [23].…”