<p>Microlensing by massive compact halo objects (MACHOs)</p>

<p>While it is generally believed that most dark matter is in the form of exotic particles that don't interact with normal matter, a certain proportion of the dark matter in the universe is made up of ordinary matter that is simply dark. This matter could be in the form of brown dwarfs, rogue planets, or even small black holes. The common property is that the mass in these objects is formed of normal atoms, not from anything exotic. But these objects are invisible because they are too cool to shine, and too small to image directly.</p>

<p>If a MACHO were to pass in front of a star, the mass of the MACHO would cause light from the star to be slightly bent, and become focussed. The result would be the star would briefly brighten. <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/wiDR5.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/wiDR5.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
(image by Jan Skowron, under cc-sa-2.5)</p>

<p>The frequency of such events places limits on how many such MACHOs there are in space. The conclusion is that there are not nearly enough to account for all the mass in the galaxy, and so there must be something else, something exotic, a particle that we haven't yet detected, a weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP. </p>

<p>So gravitational lensing is used to detect a specific type of dark matter, the MACHO.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T15:25:20.207Z
Can you give me some references (research papers) that explains dark matter is made of ordinary matter? I really ecstatic by reading the same. I didn't knew dark matter is made of ordinary matter. Also give information on MACHOs.                                       In the lecture Sir said something like you have mentioned. It was something like we can discover dark matter through gravitational lensing. It was this relation which dazzled me and left me with questions
Nukul Parmar
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T15:32:58.557Z
Please read carefully. "most dark matter is in the form of exotic particles". Most dark matter is *not* made of ordinary matter. For references, see http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~george/ay20/eaa-wimps-machos.pdf
James K
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T15:02:03.443Z
2017-04-06T15:02:03.443Z
James K
<p>Gravitational lenses magnifies the appearance of themselves so in the case of a galaxy it looks bigger than it is. Thus the outer stars in a galaxy seems to move faster than they do.</p>
<p>For example the Sun deflects light passing from minus infinity to us 1.75 seconds of arc. Say that half of that value is the amount it deflects its own light at its edge, then the Sun looks 200 km wider.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-18T13:06:27.577Z
This is a totally negligible effect and unmeasurable in external galaxies. The effect of gravitational redshift on measured velocities is equally negligible. https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/615443/is-galactic-gravitational-lensing-self-magnification-big-enough-to-contribute-no/615469#615469
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-18T10:26:34.020Z
2021-02-20T09:43:54.297Z
2021-02-20T09:43:54.297Z
David Jonsson
<p>Gravitational lensing of background galaxies and quasars is used to probe the amount of gravitating matter in foreground objects such as clusters of galaxies.</p>

<p>Here is an example, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/k7bzA.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/k7bzA.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>The foreground object is a cluster of galaxies and the lensed background objects, some of which are marked, are galaxies and quasars that are much further away.</p>

<p>The shapes of these lensed objects can be used to deduce the gravitational potential in the foreground cluster. This potential is due both to the galaxies that can be seen, hot intra-cluster gas (that can be seen in X-rays), but chiefly is due to dark matter that pervades the cluster. Thus a combination of optical, X-ray and lensing observations can map the distribution of dark matter and hot gas in the cluster.</p>

<p>An example is shown below for Abell 1689, where the diffuse, blobby emission is a false-colour representation of the density distribution of dark matter inferred to be in this cluster from the many lensed images of background galaxies that can be seen.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IkssI.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IkssI.jpg" alt="Abell 1689"></a>
<a href="http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2010-37" rel="noreferrer">http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2010-37</a></p>

<p>A particularly important example that is a landmark in dark matter research is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Cluster" rel="noreferrer">Bullet Cluster</a>. This is actually two clusters that appear to have collided and passed through each other about 150 million years ago. The distribution of galaxies in the clusters can be seen in optical images; the hot gas can be traced by X-ray observations and the dark matter is traced by looking at the lensed images of distant background galaxies.</p>

<p>The key image is shown below - it illustrates the distribution of optical galaxies, the X-ray-emitting hot gas (pink/red) and the inferred distribution of dark matter (blue).</p>

<p>As the clusters move through each other, the hot gas interacts and piles up into bow-shocks that are displaced from the distribution of optical galaxies. On the other hand, the dark matter, which is thought to consist of non-baryonic, non-interacting particles remains centred on the visible galaxies and each dark matter "cloud" has apparently passed through the other with no interaction occuring.</p>

<p>The displacement between the hot gas and the majority of the gravitating matter, that is dark, is very strong evidence for a non-baryonic particle description of dark matter, rather than some of the alternatives to dark matter like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_Newtonian_dynamics" rel="noreferrer">Modified Newtonian Dynamics</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/XCMF1.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XCMF1.jpg" alt="The Bullet Cluster"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T15:53:36.117Z
2017-04-06T16:22:00.563Z
2017-04-06T16:22:00.563Z
ProfRob
<p>In a lecture which I attended at my institution on gravitational lensing, the lecturer linked gravitational lensing and dark matter research. Can anyone explain what is the relation of both?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T15:03:14.980Z
Can you give some more details?
James K
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T21:59:10.440Z
Who is "sir"? As it stands this question has little meaning. You need to add details regarding what was said. That said, it's a good idea to look into the Bullet Galaxy.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-07T11:39:06.730Z
They aren't. The research may use one to study the other, that's all
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-07T11:39:44.913Z
@DavidHammen I think referring to a lecturer as "sir" is appropriate to various cultures.
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-07T12:26:14.113Z
Anyone can say sir or lecturer it doesn't matter. I got the answer but would like to read some research papers for the same.
Nukul Parmar
<dark-matter><gravitational-lensing>
How are gravitational lensing and dark matter related?
Nukul Parmar
# How are gravitational lensing and dark matter related?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-06)

In a lecture which I attended at my institution on gravitational lensing, the lecturer linked gravitational lensing and dark matter research. Can anyone explain what is the relation of both?

**Tags:** dark-matter, gravitational-lensing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you give some more details?  
> **username_2**: Who is "sir"? As it stands this question has little meaning. You need to add details regarding what was said. That said, it's a good idea to look into the Bullet Galaxy.  
> **username_3**: They aren't. The research may use one to study the other, that's all  
> **username_3**: @username_2 I think referring to a lecturer as "sir" is appropriate to various cultures.  
> **username_0**: Anyone can say sir or lecturer it doesn't matter. I got the answer but would like to read some research papers for the same.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-04-06. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Gravitational lensing of background galaxies and quasars is used to probe the amount of gravitating matter in foreground objects such as clusters of galaxies.

Here is an example, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/k7bzA.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/k7bzA.jpg)

The foreground object is a cluster of galaxies and the lensed background objects, some of which are marked, are galaxies and quasars that are much further away.

The shapes of these lensed objects can be used to deduce the gravitational potential in the foreground cluster. This potential is due both to the galaxies that can be seen, hot intra-cluster gas (that can be seen in X-rays), but chiefly is due to dark matter that pervades the cluster. Thus a combination of optical, X-ray and lensing observations can map the distribution of dark matter and hot gas in the cluster.

An example is shown below for Abell 1689, where the diffuse, blobby emission is a false-colour representation of the density distribution of dark matter inferred to be in this cluster from the many lensed images of background galaxies that can be seen.

[![Abell 1689](https://i.sstatic.net/IkssI.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/IkssI.jpg)
<http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2010-37>

A particularly important example that is a landmark in dark matter research is the [Bullet Cluster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_Cluster). This is actually two clusters that appear to have collided and passed through each other about 150 million years ago. The distribution of galaxies in the clusters can be seen in optical images; the hot gas can be traced by X-ray observations and the dark matter is traced by looking at the lensed images of distant background galaxies.

The key image is shown below - it illustrates the distribution of optical galaxies, the X-ray-emitting hot gas (pink/red) and the inferred distribution of dark matter (blue).

As the clusters move through each other, the hot gas interacts and piles up into bow-shocks that are displaced from the distribution of optical galaxies. On the other hand, the dark matter, which is thought to consist of non-baryonic, non-interacting particles remains centred on the visible galaxies and each dark matter "cloud" has apparently passed through the other with no interaction occuring.

The displacement between the hot gas and the majority of the gravitating matter, that is dark, is very strong evidence for a non-baryonic particle description of dark matter, rather than some of the alternatives to dark matter like [Modified Newtonian Dynamics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_Newtonian_dynamics).

[![The Bullet Cluster](https://i.sstatic.net/XCMF1.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/XCMF1.jpg)


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-04-06. Score: 3

Microlensing by massive compact halo objects (MACHOs)

While it is generally believed that most dark matter is in the form of exotic particles that don't interact with normal matter, a certain proportion of the dark matter in the universe is made up of ordinary matter that is simply dark. This matter could be in the form of brown dwarfs, rogue planets, or even small black holes. The common property is that the mass in these objects is formed of normal atoms, not from anything exotic. But these objects are invisible because they are too cool to shine, and too small to image directly.

If a MACHO were to pass in front of a star, the mass of the MACHO would cause light from the star to be slightly bent, and become focussed. The result would be the star would briefly brighten. [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/wiDR5.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/wiDR5.png)
(image by Jan Skowron, under cc-sa-2.5)

The frequency of such events places limits on how many such MACHOs there are in space. The conclusion is that there are not nearly enough to account for all the mass in the galaxy, and so there must be something else, something exotic, a particle that we haven't yet detected, a weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP.

So gravitational lensing is used to detect a specific type of dark matter, the MACHO.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can you give me some references (research papers) that explains dark matter is made of ordinary matter? I really ecstatic by reading the same. I didn't knew dark matter is made of ordinary matter. Also give information on MACHOs.                                       In the lecture Sir said something like you have mentioned. It was something like we can discover dark matter through gravitational lensing. It was this relation which dazzled me and left me with questions  
> **username_1**: Please read carefully. "most dark matter is in the form of exotic particles". Most dark matter is *not* made of ordinary matter. For references, see http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~george/ay20/eaa-wimps-machos.pdf  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-02-18. Score: -1

Gravitational lenses magnifies the appearance of themselves so in the case of a galaxy it looks bigger than it is. Thus the outer stars in a galaxy seems to move faster than they do.

For example the Sun deflects light passing from minus infinity to us 1.75 seconds of arc. Say that half of that value is the amount it deflects its own light at its edge, then the Sun looks 200 km wider.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: This is a totally negligible effect and unmeasurable in external galaxies. The effect of gravitational redshift on measured velocities is equally negligible. https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/615443/is-galactic-gravitational-lensing-self-magnification-big-enough-to-contribute-no/615469#615469  

---

