When N-body simulations meet scalar fields: applications to the shape of dark matter halos

by Claudio Llinares (Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo)

Thursday 4 Oct 2012, 13:15 → 14:15 Europe/Stockholm

FA31

There is an increasing interest in the possibility that scalar fields could explain the accelerated expansion of the universe. At present, there is a broad spectrum of theories that fulfill this requirement and at the same time have no effects at very small scales, which makes them able to pass solar system tests. In order to test if this type of scalar fields indeed exist, we need to find predictions at intermediate scales in between those involved in the expansion of the universe and the solar system (i.e. galaxies and galaxy clusters scales). I will summarize some of the properties of two particular families of scalar-tensor theories (symmetron and chameleon models) and I will show why observations of the shape of dark matter halos could help to distinguish between them.