The BUFFALO survey: the subhalo mass function for Abell 2744 with strong + weak gravitational lensing
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT We present a combined strong and weak gravitational lensing mass model of the massive merging galaxy cluster Abell 2744 ($z = 0.308$). The mass reconstruction combines strong-lensing constraints in the cluster core with weak-lensing measurements derived from deep imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, enabling a reconstruction of the projected mass distribution from the core to the cluster outskirts. Using the resulting mass map, we identify cluster substructures and construct the subhalo mass function for Abell 2744. To interpret the observed substructure population, we apply identical detection methods to projected mass maps of massive galaxy clusters from the BAryons and HAloes of MAssive Systems (BAHAMAS) simulations. We observe a systematic excess of detected substructures in Abell 2744 compared to BAHAMAS. We interpret this excess as likely reflecting Abell 2744’s exceptionally disturbed dynamical state, characterized by complex ongoing mergers, rather than tension with Lambda cold dark matter or self-interacting dark matter predictions. However, confirming this interpretation will require extending the analysis to a larger sample of clusters spanning a range of dynamical states.
Authors: Nency R Patel, Mathilde Jauzac, Anna Niemiec, Guillaume Mahler, David Lagattuta, David Harvey, Johannes Schwinn, Andrew Robertson, Lukas J Furtak, Sownak Bose, Alastair Edge, Anton Koekemoer, Jose Diego, Andreas Faisst, Eric Jullo, Marceau Limousin, Richard Massey, Derek Perera, Sut-Ieng Tam
Institutions: Durham University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble, Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules, University of Hertfordshire, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Heidelberg University, Carnegie Observatories, The University of Texas at Austin, Space Telescope Science Institute, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Física de Cantabria, California Institute of Technology, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Aix-Marseille Université, University of Minnesota, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,046
OpenAlex ID: W7214486582