Galaxy cluster profile through the gravitational magnification effect

• Grant number: 14/14131-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Extragalactic Astrophysics
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Serra Cypriano
• Grantee: Raniere Maciel de Menezes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 12/00800-4 - The 3-D universe: astrophysics with large galaxy surveys, AP.TEM

Abstract

In our current understanding of the structure formation in the universe, dominated by cold dark matter, growth happens hierarchically, through fusions. Galaxy clusters have a special position in this scenario as they are the largest structures (dark matter halos) to have reach equilibrium. For reason not yet completely understood the radial density profile of those halos, over 5 decades in mass or more, can all be described by the same law, with two parameters only. One of these parameters measures the concentration of the halo. Regarding this parameter although observational results are not in disagreement with numerical predictions there is no perfect agreement either. The goal of this project is to measure, with high precision, the concentration parameter for galaxy clusters at intermediate ($z=0.5$) redshifts and compare them with the predictions. For that we will use weak gravitational lensing techniques over multiband data of 60 clusters of the CODEX project imaged with the CFHT large-field imager Megacam, focusing on magnification bias techniques. (AU)