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Hubble Finds Ring of Dark Matter. The Astrophysical Journal, 661:728-749, 2007 June 1. About the Object. Object Name: Cl 0024+17 Object Description: Galaxy Cluster Position (J2000): R.A. 00h 26m 35s Dec. +17° 09' 43" Constellation: Pisces Distance: Redshift z = 0.395 (1.5 billion parsecs).
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Hubble Finds Ring of Dark Matter The Astrophysical Journal, 661:728-749, 2007 June 1
About the Object • Object Name: Cl 0024+17 • Object Description: Galaxy Cluster • Position (J2000): R.A. 00h 26m 35s Dec. +17° 09' 43" • Constellation: Pisces • Distance: Redshift z = 0.395 (1.5 billion parsecs) About the Data • Instrument: ACS/WFC • Exposure Date(s): November 2004 • Exposure Time: 14.5 hours
The distant galaxies appear distorted because their light is being bent and magnified by the gravity of Cl 0024+17, an effect called gravitational lensing.
A nonparametric mass reconstruction method combing strong- and weak-lensing signal • The weak-lensing signal from a dense distribution of background galaxies (~120 arcmin-2) across the cluster enables the derivation of a high-resolution parameter-free mass map. • The strongly lensed objects tightly constrain the mass structure of the cluster inner region on an absolute scale, breaking the mass-sheet degeneracy.
A3 A2 A1 A5 A4 The well-known five multiple images at z = 1.675 are labeled as A1~A5.
Source image reconstruction of the five well-known multiple images at z = 1.675. The delensed image of each arc predicted from the deflection potential. Note that the orientation, parity, and size of these delensed images are consistent with each other.
The ring-like structure is evident in the blue map of the cluster's dark matter distribution. The map is superimposed on a Hubble image of the cluster.
Interpretation • The research suggested the cluster had collided with another cluster 1 to 2 billion years ago. (published in 2002 by Oliver Czoske of the Argeleander-Institut fur Astronomie at the Universitat Bonn) • Quite a few numerical simulations have shown that the ringlike structure can arise from a radial density propagation in a high speed collision of two galaxies.
Side view of cluster collision Cluster collision as seen from Earth • This peculiar substructure can be interpreted as the result of a high-speed line-of-sight collision of two massive clusters 1~2 Gyr ago.
Conclusion • This is the first time to detect a dark matter distribution that differs from the distribution of both the galaxies and the hot gas. • The ring's discovery is among the strongest evidence yet that dark matter exists.