Detecting compact dark matter in galaxy clusters via gravitational microlensing: A2218 & A370

Abstract

After decades of searching, the true nature of dark matter still eludes us. One potential probe of the form of dark matter in galaxy clusters is to search for microlensing variability in the giant arcs and arclets. In this paper, a simple method is introduced to characterize pixel variability in the limit of high optical depth to microlensing. Expanding on earlier work, the expected microlensing signal for two massive clusters, A2218 & A370 is calculated. It is found that the microlensing signal depends sensitively upon the mix of smooth and compact dark matter in the cluster. Comparison of two deep exposures taken with James Webb Space Telescope or two hour long exposures taken with a 30-metre class telescope in two epochs separated by a few years will possibly detect about a few dozen pixels which show strong variability due to microlensing at five sigma level, revealing wealth of information on the microlensing population.

15 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

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• Pixel lensing: Microlensing towards M31
• Statistics of magnification for extremely lensed high redshift stars
• Statistical Microlensing Toward Magnified High-Redshift Star Clusters
• A Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Microlensing I. Random Time-Delay Functions and Lensing Maps
• On a systematic bias in SBF-based distances due to gravitational microlensing