Speaker
Description
Mapping the dark matter distribution in the Universe is of fundamental importance for both galaxy evolution and cosmology.
Observationally, one of the outstanding questions regarding dark matter is the so-called "core vs. cusp problem": how steep is the inner dark matter density profile of galaxies? The answer to this question can give us important insight on the relative importance of baryonic physics processes at play during galaxy formation, and on the nature of dark matter itself.
Strong gravitational lensing can provide unique constraints on the dark matter distribution in massive galaxies. Although current measurements are still scarce, future surveys will enable us to answer the core vs. cusp question. I will present a strategy to reach this goal, based on the statistical combination of a large sample of strong lenses.
