Constraining the Mass Distribution of Cluster Galaxies by Weak Lensing

Abstract

Analysing the weak lensing distortions of the images of faint background galaxies provides a means to constrain the mass distribution of cluster galaxies and potentially to test the extent of their dark matter halos as a function of the density of the environment. Here I describe simulations of observational data and present a maximum likelihood method to infer the average properties of an ensemble of cluster galaxies.

10 pages, Latex, including 6 figures, uses lamuphys.sty, to appear in the proceedings of the ESO Workshop on Galaxy Scaling Relations: Origins, Evolution and Applications. Garching, 18-20 November 1996. relevant reference added