Testing GR and Studying Dark Matter in the Aftermath of Galaxy Clusters Colliding

ORAL

Abstract

Astrophysical observations are consistent with most of the universe being dark: dark matter - predominantly cold - and dark energy. Unlike normal baryonic matter that we see directly, these dark components are studied via their impact on the dynamics and geometry of the universe, and on the growth of massive structures. Galaxy clusters are the most massive bound objects in the universe. Most of their normal matter is in the form of hot gas that emits X-rays. Seeing clusters after they have violently merged is very rare, but such systems are critical in testing gravity and general relativity on large scales, and in refining our understanding of dark matter. Dark matter and hot gas behave differently during a merger, with the hot gas becoming retarded and separated from the dominant dark matter. I discuss the importance of these systems, and outline how their strong and weak gravitational lensing signatures are used to map their mass - independent of it being luminous or dark. This map is compared with the distribution of the hot gas revealed by X-ray telescopes. Then I describe our current work on a unique galaxy cluster merger system.

–

Authors

  • Lindsay King

    University of Texas at Dallas

  • Iman Rezanejad

    TAMU, TTU, TCU, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Waterloo, Canada, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, Education City, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar, TTU Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Texas A\&M University - Commerce, Meyer Observatory, Clifton TX, CASPER, Baylor University, Waco TX, CASPER NSF-REU, Baylor University, Waco TX, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Oklahoma University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Lamar University, Department of Physics \& Geosciences, Angelo State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Physics Dept, Texas State University, San Marcos, Istanbul University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, V. N. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, University of North Texas, Department of Physics, TCU, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Computer Science, Texas State University at San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State University at San Marcos, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, The National Center for Mathematics and Physics, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia, Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA, University of Guelph, Guelph Canada, Department of Physics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, University of Houston Clear Lake, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Angelo State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Campus de la DOUA, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 France, Department of Engineering, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, BAE Systems, Advanced Systems and Technology, Nashua, NH, Istanbul University, Beyazit 3449 Istanbul, Turkey, Texas Tech University, Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AK, Abilene Christian University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Department of Physics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A\&M University

  • Iman Rezanejad

    TAMU, TTU, TCU, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Waterloo, Canada, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, Education City, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar, TTU Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Texas A\&M University - Commerce, Meyer Observatory, Clifton TX, CASPER, Baylor University, Waco TX, CASPER NSF-REU, Baylor University, Waco TX, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Oklahoma University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Lamar University, Department of Physics \& Geosciences, Angelo State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Physics Dept, Texas State University, San Marcos, Istanbul University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, V. N. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, University of North Texas, Department of Physics, TCU, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Computer Science, Texas State University at San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State University at San Marcos, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, The National Center for Mathematics and Physics, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia, Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA, University of Guelph, Guelph Canada, Department of Physics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, University of Houston Clear Lake, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Angelo State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Campus de la DOUA, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 France, Department of Engineering, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, BAE Systems, Advanced Systems and Technology, Nashua, NH, Istanbul University, Beyazit 3449 Istanbul, Turkey, Texas Tech University, Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AK, Abilene Christian University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Department of Physics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A\&M University

  • Iman Rezanejad

    TAMU, TTU, TCU, Texas State University, Department of Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Chemistry \& Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ohio University, Stanford University, University of Waterloo, Canada, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China, Institute for Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, Education City, P.O. Box 23874, Doha, Qatar, TTU Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Texas A\&M University - Commerce, Meyer Observatory, Clifton TX, CASPER, Baylor University, Waco TX, CASPER NSF-REU, Baylor University, Waco TX, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Oklahoma University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, Cornell University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Department of Physics, Lamar University, Department of Physics \& Geosciences, Angelo State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, Physics Dept, Texas State University, San Marcos, Istanbul University, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics \& Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, V. N. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, University of North Texas, Department of Physics, TCU, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Computer Science, Texas State University at San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State University at San Marcos, Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, The National Center for Mathematics and Physics, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia, Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, People's Republic of China, Department of Physics, the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080 USA, State Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics and Quantum Optics Devices, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164 USA, University of Guelph, Guelph Canada, Department of Physics, National Chung Cheng University, Chia-Yi 621, Taiwan, University of Houston Clear Lake, The University of Texas at Dallas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Angelo State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, Laboratoire des Mat\'eriaux Avanc\'es, Universit\'e Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Campus de la DOUA, Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 France, Department of Engineering, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas 78520 USA, BAE Systems, Advanced Systems and Technology, Nashua, NH, Istanbul University, Beyazit 3449 Istanbul, Turkey, Texas Tech University, Physics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AK, Abilene Christian University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634 USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Texas A\&M University at Qatar, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, FUTY, Yola, Adamawa State, Department of Physics, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A\&M University