Free Form Lensing Implications for the Collision of Dark Matter and Gas in the Frontier Fields Cluster MACSJ0416.1-2403

TL;DR

This study uses a free form lensing reconstruction to analyze the collision dynamics of dark matter and gas in galaxy cluster MACSJ0416.1-2403, revealing insights into the mass distribution and collision geometry.

Contribution

It introduces a model-independent lensing method that refines dark matter distribution mapping and provides new insights into cluster collision geometry and dynamics.

Findings

Dark matter peaks are closer than X-ray emission centers.

Mass profiles are surprisingly flat in the inner 15-100 kpc.

Collision likely occurred near the plane with cores deflected around each other.

Abstract

We present a free form mass reconstruction of the massive lensing cluster MACSJ0416.1-2403 using the latest Hubble Frontier Fields data. Our model independent method finds that the extended lensing pattern is generated by two elongated, closely projected clusters of similar mass. Our lens model identifies new lensed images with which we improve the accuracy of the dark matter distribution. We find that the bimodal mass distribution is nearly coincident with the bimodal X-ray emission, but with the two dark matter peaks lying closer together than the centroids of the X-ray emisison. We show this can be achieved if the collision has occurred close to the plane and such that the cores are deflected around each other. The projected mass profiles of both clusters are well constrained because of the many interior lensed images, leading to surprisingly flat mass profiles of both components in the region 15-100 kpc. We discuss the extent to which this may be generated by tidal forces in our dynamical model which are large during an encounter of this type as the cores "graze" each other. The relative velocity between the two cores is estimated to be about 1200 km/s and mostly along the line of sight so that our model is consistent with the relative redshift difference between the two cD galaxies (dz = 0.04).