Related papers: Geometric Support for Dark Matter by an Unaligned …
The lensing and Einstein ring at the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 3827 are reproduced in the modified gravity theory MOG. The estimated effective lensing mass $M_L=(1+\alpha)M_b=5.2\times 10^{12} M_\odot$ within $R=18.3$~kpc for a…
Unveiling the true nature of Dark Matter (DM), which manifests itself only through gravity, is one of the principal quests in physics. Leading candidates for DM are weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) or ultralight bosons (axions),…
We present integral field spectroscopy of galaxy cluster Abell 3827, using ALMA and VLT/MUSE. It reveals an unusual configuration of strong gravitational lensing in the cluster core, with at least seven lensed images of a single background…
We present a strong lensing analysis of the galaxy cluster Abell 370 (z=0.375) based on the recent multicolor ACS images obtained as part of the Early Release Observation (ERO) that followed the Hubble Service Mission #4. Back in 1987, the…
We propose the novel method of ``gravitational imaging'' to detect and quantify luminous and dark-matter substructure in gravitational-lens galaxies. The method utilizes highly-magnified Einstein rings and arcs as sensitive probes of small…
The positions of images produced by the gravitational lensing of background sources provide unique insight in to galaxy-lens mass distribution. However, even quad images of extended sources are not able to fully characterize the central…
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…
Gravitational lens modeling is presented for the first discovered example of a three-component source for which each component is quadruply imaged. The lens is a massive galaxy member of the cluster Cl J0152.7-1357 at z ~ 0.84. Taking…
[Abridged] We present two-dimensional line-of-sight stellar kinematics of the lens galaxy in the Einstein Cross, obtained with the GEMINI 8m telescope, using the GMOS integral-field spectrograph. The velocity map shows regular rotation up…
It is generally thought that galaxies are embedded in dark matter halos extending well beyond their luminous matter. The existence of these galactic halos is mainly derived from the larger than expected velocities of stars and gas in the…
If it is hypothesised that there is no dark matter then some alternative gravitational theory must take the place of general relativity (GR) on the largest scales. Dynamical measurements can be used to investigate the nature of such a…
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…
The most simple observed cases of gravitational lensing of distant quasars and galaxies by galaxies and clusters of galaxies are used to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity and Newtonian Gravity over galactic and intergalactic…
We consider global and gravitational lensing properties of the recently suggested Einstein clusters of WIMPs as galactic dark matter halos. Being tangential pressure dominated, Einstein clusters are strongly anisotropic systems which can…
Simulations of self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) predict that dark matter should lag behind galaxies during a collision. If the interaction is mediated by a high-mass force carrier, the distribution of dark matter can also develop…
We study gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies in the context of the generic class of unconventional gravity theories of the scalar--tensor type. For positive energy scalar fields with any dynamics, the bending of light by a weakly…
In these lectures I give an overview of gravitational lensing, concentrating on theoretical aspects, including derivations of some of the important results. Topics covered include the determination of surface mass densities of intervening…
The gravitational lensing of supermassive black holes surrounded by dark matter halo has attracted a great number of interests in recent years. However, many studies employed simplified dark matter density models, which makes it very hard…
We model the mass distribution in the recently discovered Einstein ring LBG J213512.73-010143 (the `Cosmic Eye') using archival Hubble Space Telescope imaging. We reconstruct the mass density profile of the z=0.73 lens and the surface…
We describe a new non-parametric technique for reconstructing the mass distribution in galaxy clusters with strong lensing, i.e., from multiple images of background galaxies. The observed positions and redshifts of the images are considered…