Weak gravitational lensing: how Euclid maps dark matter
ESA's Euclid mission is surveying the sky to explore the composition and evolution of the dark Universe. But how can Euclid see the invisible? Watch this video to learn about the light-bending effect that enables scientists to trace how dark matter is distributed in the Universe.
By making use of Euclid’s flagship simulation, the video illustrates how dark-matter filaments subtly alter the shape of galaxies. Light travelling to us from vastly distant galaxies is bent and distorted by concentrations of matter along its way. The effect is called gravitational lensing because matter (both ‘normal’ and dark matter) acts as a kind of magnifying glass.
Scientists distinguish between strong and weak gravitational lensing. In strong gravitational lensing distortions of background galaxies or other light sources are very apparent, resulting in arcs, multiple images or so-called Einstein rings. In weak lensing, background sources appear only mildly stretched or displaced. This means we can only detect this effect by analysing large numbers of sources in a statistical way.
The further we look, the more prominent the distortions from weak gravitational lensing are, because there are more dark-matter structures acting as lenses between us and the light sources.
Euclid will measure the distorted shapes of billions of galaxies over 10 billion years of cosmic history, providing a 3D view of the dark matter distribution in our Universe. This will shed light on the nature of this mysterious component.
The map of the distribution of galaxies over cosmic time will also teach us about dark energy, which affects how quickly the Universe expands. By charting the Universe’s large-scale structure in unprecedented detail, Euclid will enable scientists to trace how the expansion has changed over time.