Cluster density profiles as a test of modified gravity

Abstract

We present a new test of gravitational interactions at the r≃(0.2-20)Mpc scale, around the virial radius of dark matter halos measured through cluster-galaxy lensing of maxBCG clusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We employ predictions from self-consistent simulations of f(R) gravity to find an upper bound on the background field amplitude of |f R0|<3.5×10 -3 at the 1D-marginalized 95% confidence level. As a model-independent assessment of the constraining power of cluster profiles measured through weak gravitational lensing, we also constrain the amplitude F 0 of a phenomenological modification based on the profile enhancement induced by f(R) gravity when not including effects from the increased cluster abundance in f(R). In both scenarios, dark-matter-only simulations of the concordance model corresponding to |f R0|=0 and F 0=0 are consistent with the lensing measurements, i.e., at the 68% and 95% confidence level, respectively. © 2012 American Physical Society.