Colloquium on Mar. 21, 2024

Mapping the dark matter universe

Speaker: Ran Li (NAOC)

Venue: SWIFAR Building 2111

Time: 15:00 PM, Thursday, Mar. 21, 2024

Abstract:

Dark matter makes up about 1/4 of the total mass-energy budget of the universe, while all baryonic components add up to less than 5%. Dark matter does not emit light, but one can map its distribution through its gravitational effects. In this talk, I will talk about several examples of how researchers map the dark matter universe, including mapping the dark matter haloes with gravitational lensing; detecting the dark matter substructures with strong lenses; probing the inner dark matter profiles of the haloes using stellar dynamics. I will also talk about how the map of the dark matter universe helps people understand the nature of dark matter. Finally, I will discuss the dark matter research in the era of CSST.