Probing Dark Matter with Nature’s Magnifying Glass

Abstract

Hrishabh Srivastava was a finalist in the 2026 UBC Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Hrishabh presented the research titled “Probing Dark Matter with Nature’s Magnifying Glass.” Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive foreground galaxy bends the light from a more distant galaxy behind it, often producing distinctive ring-like patterns. Although billions of galaxies exist in the observable Universe, such lenses are extremely rare, only about one in every 15,000 galaxies. Finding them therefore requires searching through enormous astronomical datasets. The Euclid Space Telescope will soon observe about 1.5 billion galaxies across a large portion of the sky. As part of an international collaboration, this research focuses on developing fast algorithms that automatically identify the characteristic ring features of gravitational lenses in these images. By analyzing how lenses bend light, we can map the distribution of dark matter and move closer to understanding its fundamental nature. Hrishabh Srivastava is completing a MSc in Astronomy in the Department of Astronomy under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Scott. #3MT is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. For more information or to participate in UBC’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) visit https://3mt.grad.ubc.ca.