Simulating mock observations for weak lensing analysis and galaxy clusters mass estimates

The purpose of this thesis is learning how to accomplish a weak lensing analysis and estimate the mass of a galaxy cluster. For this task, I performed simulations in order to obtain mock observations with the Subaru Telescope of galaxies distorted by a massive galaxy cluster. Their distortion was quantified according to the Kaiser-Squires-Broadhurst (KSB) method. Chapter 1 is an introduction to crucial concepts regarding this thesis, in the fields of cosmology, galaxy clusters and gravitational lensing. Chapter 2 discusses the process of the simulation, its inputs and outputs and the analysis of the distortion of galaxy shapes. Chapter 3 regards the results of the analysis on the real galaxy cluster MACS J1206, the comparison with its model and how to get its mass by means of a fit with a Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) mass distribution. Chapter 4 reports the application of the same analysis to MACS J1206 observed in different filters and two simulated clusters: Ares and Hera. Chapter 5 sums up the key points of the whole work.