Related papers: Dark matter dynamics in Abell 3827: new data consi…
We extend our analyses of the dark matter (DM) distribution in relaxed clusters to the case of Abell 383, a luminous X-ray cluster at z=0.189 with a dominant central galaxy and numerous strongly-lensed features. Following our earlier…
We have discovered strong gravitational lensing features in the core of the nearby cluster Abell 3827 by analyzing Gemini South GMOS images. The most prominent strong lensing feature is a highly-magnified, ring-shaped configuration of four…
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…
In this work, one shows that a specific non-minimal coupling between the scalar curvature and matter can mimic the dark matter component of galaxy clusters. For this purpose, one assesses the Abell cluster A586, a massive nearby relaxed…
We present a joint optical/X-ray analysis of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (z=0.308). Our strong- and weak-lensing analysis within the central region of the cluster, i.e., at R<1Mpc from the brightest cluster galaxy, reveals eight…
The detailed distribution of mass within clusters of galaxies can be used to probe the nature of dark matter. We show that constraints on the extent of the mass distribution around galaxies in the rich cluster Abell 2218 obtained from…
We present a parametric strong lensing model of the cluster Abell 2218 based on HST ACS data. We constrain the lens model using 8 previously known multiply imaged systems, of which 7 have spectroscopically confirmed redshifts. In addition,…
Cold dark matter (CDM) constitutes most of the matter in the Universe. The interplay between dark and luminous matter in dense cosmic environments like galaxy clusters is studied theoretically using cosmological simulations. Observed…
We report on the detection of dark matter in the cluster Abell 2390 using the weak gravitational distortion of background galaxies. We find that the cluster light and total mass distributions are quite similar over an angular scale of…
We present a detailed strong lensing, weak lensing and X-ray analysis of Abell 2744 (z = 0.308), one of the most actively merging galaxy clusters known. It appears to have unleashed `dark', `ghost', `bullet' and `stripped' substructures,…
The properties of substructure in galaxy clusters, exquisitely probed by gravitational lensing, offer a stringent test of dark matter (DM) models. Combining strong- and weak-lensing data for massive clusters, we map their total mass --…
The nature of the elusive dark matter can be probed by comparing the predictions of the cold dark matter framework with the gravitational field of massive galaxy clusters. However, a robust test of dark matter can only be achieved if the…
By performing numerical simulations, we discuss the collisional dynamics of stable solitary waves in the Schrodinger-Poisson equation. In the framework of a model in which part or all of dark matter is a Bose-Einstein condensate of…
Merging galaxy clusters present a unique opportunity to study the properties of dark matter in an astrophysical context. These are rare and extreme cosmic events in which the bulk of the baryonic matter becomes displaced from the dark…
We have made mass maps of three strong-lensing clusters, Abell 3827, Abell 2218 and Abell 1689, in order to test for mass-light offsets. The technique used is GRALE, which enables lens reconstruction with minimal assumptions, and…
Using stellar dynamics and strong gravitational lensing as complementary probes, Sand et al. (2002, 2003) have recently claimed strong evidence for shallow dark matter density profiles in several lensing clusters, which may conflict with…
We present a deep H-band image of the region in the vicinity of the cluster Abell 1942 containing the puzzling dark matter concentration detected in an optical weak lensing study by Erben et al. (2000). We demonstrate that our limiting…
Self-interactions of dark matter particles can potentially lead to an observable separation between the dark matter halo and the stars of a galaxy moving through a region of large dark matter density. Such a separation has recently been…
We present a comprehensive mass reconstruction of the rich galaxy cluster Cl 0024+17 at z~0.4 from ACS data, unifying both strong- and weak-lensing constraints. The weak-lensing signal from a dense distribution of background galaxies (~120…
We use the "Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments" ( EAGLE ) suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations to measure offsets between the centres of stellar and dark matter components of galaxies. We find that the…