Related papers: Mapping Dark Matter in Galaxy Clusters: Gravitatio…
We present new weak lensing observations of 1E0657-558 (z=0.296), a unique cluster merger, that enable a direct detection of dark matter, independent of assumptions regarding the nature of the gravitational force law. Due to the collision…
Gravitational lensing has been identified as a powerful tool to address fundamental problems in astrophysics at different scales, ranging from exoplanet identification to dark energy and dark matter characterization in cosmology. Image…
Dark matter halos represent the highest density peaks in the matter distribution. Conversely, cosmic voids are under-dense patches of the universe. Probing the mass distribution of the universe requires various approaches, including weak…
The use of large, X-ray selected galaxy cluster catalogues for cosmological analyses requires a thorough understanding of the X-ray mass estimates. Weak gravitational lensing is an ideal method to shed light on such issues, due to its…
(abridged) We utilize existing imaging and spectroscopic data for the galaxy clusters MS2137-23 and Abell 383 to present improved measures of the distribution of dark and baryonic material in the clusters' central regions. Our method, based…
Direct measurements of dark matter distributions in galaxies are currently only possible through the use of gravitational lensing observations. Combinations of lens modelling and stellar velocity dispersion measurements provide the best…
We are conducting a systematic lensing survey of X-ray luminous galaxy clusters at z~0.2 using the Hubble Space Telescope and large ground-based telescopes. We summarize initial results from our survey, including a measurement of the inner…
We simulated both the matter and light (galaxy) distributions in a wedge of the universe and calculated the gravitational lensing magnification caused by the mass along the line of sight of galaxies and galaxy groups identified in sky…
Gravitational lensing is a powerful probe of the mass distribution of galaxy clusters and cosmology. However, accurate measurements of the cluster mass profiles are limited by uncertainties in cluster astrophysics. In this work, we present…
We test the ability of strong lensing data to constrain the size of a central core in the dark matter halos of galaxy clusters, using Abell 611 as a prototype. Using simulated data, we show that modeling a cluster halo with ellipticity in…
We study the efficiency of numerically simulated galaxy clusters for producing strong gravitational lensing events in different dark-energy cosmologies with constant and time-variable equation of state and we compare it with ``standard''…
We present a selection of 24 candidate galaxy-galaxy lensing (GGLs) identified from Hubble images in the outskirts of the massive galaxy clusters from the CLASH survey. These GGLs provide insights into the mass distributions at larger…
Clusters of galaxies as gravitational lenses allow to study the stellar content and properties of high-z galaxies much fainter than the usual spectroscopic field surveys. We review the recent results obtained on the identification and study…
Galaxy shapes are not randomly oriented, rather they are statistically aligned in a way that can depend on formation environment, history and galaxy type. Studying the alignment of galaxies can therefore deliver important information about…
With future wide and deep cosmological sky surveys, a large number of gravitationally lensed, multiply imaged systems will be found. In addition to multiply imaged galaxies and quasars, sources will include transient events like supernovae…
The cluster Abell 2163 is a merging system of several subclusters with complex dynamics. It presents exceptional X-rays properties (high temperature and luminosity), suggesting that it is a very massive cluster. Recent 2D analysis of the…
The nature of the dark matter remains a mystery. The possibility of an unstable dark matter particle decaying to invisible daughter particles has been explored many times in the past few decades. Meanwhile, weak gravitational lensing shear…
Strong gravitational lensing can be used to directly measure the mass function of their satellites, thus testing one of the fundamental predictions of cold dark matter cosmological models. Given the importance of this test it is essential…
The long-standing issues of determination of the mass distribution and nature of the center of our Galaxy could be probed by a lensing experiment capable of testing the spatial and velocity distributions of stars nearby and beyond it. We…
We present a survey of mass profiles and mass-to-light ratios of eight typical galaxy clusters at a common redshift (z ~ 0.2). We use weak gravitational lensing as a probe because it is unique in avoiding any assumptions about the dynamical…