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Gravitational Microlensing of Giant Luminous Arcs: a Test for Compact Dark Matter in Clusters of Galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Geraint F. Lewis
Geraint F. Lewis*
Affiliation:
Anglo-Australian Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia; gfl@aaoepp.aao.gov.au
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Abstract

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The true nature of dark matter in the universe still eludes us. This paper discusses a new test for the detection of stellar mass compact dark matter in galaxy clusters by observing its gravitational lensing influence on the surface brightness of giant luminous arcs. If dark matter is in the form of stellar mass compact objects, then the extremes of such variability are accessible to a monitoring campaign with the Hubble Space Telescope. With the advent of the Next Generation Space Telescope, cluster dark matter in the form of compact objects will induce a ubiquitous ‘shimmering’ of the giant arcs.

Keywords

galaxies: clusters: generalgravitational lensingdark matter
Type
Research Article
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , 2001 , pp. 182 - 185
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 2001

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