a test for compact dark matter in clusters of galaxies
Geraint F. Lewis, PASA, 18 (2), in press.
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Title/Abstract Page: Gravitational microlensing of giant
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Ongoing Work
The work presented in Lewis, Ibata & Wyithe (2000) considered only a single fiducial model when modeling the microlensing influence on the giant arc in Abell 370. While this is sufficient for demonstrating the expected degree of microlensing induced fluctuations, what is required to undertake an observational search for microlensing in clusters of galaxies is a map of the expected signature over the arcs. To this end we are currently using the high resolution mass and shear maps of Abell 2218 and Abell 370, derived from a gravitational lens analysis of HST images (see Kneib et al. 1996), which provide the macro-lensing parameters over the giant arcs. Combining these with extensive catalogues of the microlensing magnification probability distributions (Lewis & Irwin 1995), detailed predictions of the expected surface brightness variability across the giant arcs will be made.
Next Section: References
Title/Abstract Page: Gravitational microlensing of giant
Previous Section: Giant Arcs
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