Mapping dark matter in the universe

我们现在从许多不同类型的天文观测中获得了强有力的证据，证明我们宇宙中的大部分物质都是暗物质，这是一种几乎完全不产生光或与光相互作用的奇异物质。这种暗物质只能通过其引力效应来表现自己，它为星系等发光结构的形成提供了支架，因此它在宇宙学中起着至关重要的作用。此外，虽然暗物质的粒子性质仍然未知，但候选粒子或粒子被限制在粒子物理学的当前“标准模型”之外。因此，暗物质的识别是天体物理学家和粒子物理学家的首要任务。知道在哪里寻找暗物质是重要的第一步。我的研究计划的主要目标是了解和绘制宇宙中暗物质的分布，特别是在最不确定的小尺度上。使用新的计算技术，我将以前所未有的分辨率模拟我们银河系和太阳系内的暗物质分布。这些模型将用于分析正在进行的暗物质探测实验。我还将使用引力透镜，即光线通过引力场时的偏转，来绘制星系团中小尺度的暗物质结构，并研究它们如何随着星系团的增长而演变。最后，我将在银河系和其他附近的星系中寻找非常微弱的“矮”星系，这些星系在最小的尺度上追踪暗物质。

We now have strong evidence from many different types of astronomical observations that most of the matter in our universe is dark matter, an exotic substance that does not produce or interact with light almost at all. This dark matter, which manifests itself only through its gravitational effects, provides the scaffolding within which luminous structures such as galaxies can form, and thus it plays a vital role in cosmology. Furthermore, although the particle nature of dark matter is still unknown, the candidate particle or particles are constrained to lie outside the current 'standard model' of particle physics. Thus, the identification of dark matter is a top priority both for astrophysicists and for particle physicists. Knowing exactly where to look for dark matter is an important first step. The main goal of my research programme is to understand and to map out the distribution of dark matter in the universe, particularly on small scales where it is the most uncertain. Using novel computational techniques, I will model the dark matter distribution within our Galaxy and within our Solar System at unprecedented resolution. These models will be applied to the analysis of ongoing experiments in dark matter detection. I will also use gravitational lensing, the deflection of light as it passes through a gravitational field, to map small-scale dark matter structures in galaxy clusters, and to study how they evolve as clusters grow. Finally, I will search around the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies for very faint 'dwarf' galaxies that trace dark matter on the smallest scales.