https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-024-13000-4
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Gravitational lensing from clusters of galaxies to test disformal couplings theories
1
Institute of Physics, University of Szczecin, Wielkopolska 15, 70-451, Szczecin, Poland
2
Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad de León, Escuela de Ingenierías Industrial, Informática y Aeroespacial Campus de Vegazana, s/n, 24071, León, Spain
3
IUFFyM, Universidad de Salamanca, 37008, Salamanca, Spain
Received:
23
January
2024
Accepted:
8
June
2024
Published online:
20
June
2024
In this study, we investigate the potential existence of a non-minimal coupling between dark matter and gravity using a compilation of galaxy clusters. We focus on the disformal scenario of a non-minimal model with an associated coupling length L. Within the Newtonian approximation, this model introduces a modification to the Poisson equation, characterized by a term proportional to 
, where 
represents the density of the DM field. We have tested the model by examining strong and weak gravitational lensing data available for a selection of 19 high-mass galaxy clusters observed by the CLASH survey. We have employed a Markov Chain Monte Carlo code to explore the parameter space, and two different statistical approaches to analyse our results: a standard marginalisation and a profile distribution method. Notably, the profile distribution analysis helps out to bypass some volume-effects in the posterior distribution, and reveals lower Navarro–Frenk–White concentrations and masses in the non-minimal coupling model compared to general relativity case. We also found a nearly perfect correlation between the coupling constant L and the standard Navarro–Frenk–White scale parameter 
, hinting at a compelling link between these two lengths.
© The Author(s) 2024
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Funded by SCOAP3.
