The Bullet Cluster (1E 0657-56) is a key astrophysical laboratory for studying dark matter, galaxy cluster mergers, and shock propagation in extreme environments. Using new JWST imaging, we present the highest-resolution mass reconstruction to date, combining 146 strong lensing constraints from 37 systems with high-density (398 sources arcmin−2) weak lensing data, without assuming that light traces mass. The main cluster's mass distribution is highly elongated (NW-SE) and consists of at least three subclumps aligned with the brightest cluster galaxies. The subcluster is more compact but elongated along the E-W direction, with a single dominant peak. We also detect a possible mass and ICL trail extending from the subcluster's eastern side toward the main cluster. Notably, these detailed features are closely traced by the intracluster light, with a modified Hausdorff distance of 19.80±12.46 kpc. Together with multi-wavelength data, the complex mass distribution suggests that the merger history of the Bullet Cluster may be more complex than previous binary cluster merger scenarios.
@article{arxiv.2503.21870,
title = {A High-Caliber View of the Bullet Cluster Through JWST Strong and Weak Lensing Analyses},
author = {Sangjun Cha and Boseong Young Cho and Hyungjin Joo and Wonki Lee and Kim HyeongHan and Zachary P. Scofield and Kyle Finner and M. James Jee},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.21870},
year = {2025}
}