Abstract:
Dark matter continues to pose one of the most important questions in modern cosmology. Gravitationally lensed multiple images of galaxies, quasars and stars provide several opportunities for testing the clumpiness of dark matter on small scales due to, for example, compact objects, axion mini-clusters and waves, or subhalos orbiting on galactic or cluster dark matter halos. The idea of using highly magnified stars by lensing clusters to probe this small-scale granularity in the dark matter will be discussed.
Brief Bio:
After studying Physics in Catalonia, Dr. Jordi Miralda Escudé obtained his doctorate at Princeton University and did postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and the Institute for Advanced Study. He was professor at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Ohio State University, and he returned to Barcelona with an ICREA research professor position. Dr. Miralda Escudé’s research interests are on the intergalactic medium, gravitational lensing, galactic dynamics and dark matter.