What is Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile?

The Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) profile is like a special recipe that describes how galaxies are built from invisible matter called dark matter.

Imagine you're building a snowman, but instead of using just snow, you use layers of different kinds of snow. The NFW profile tells us how the "snow", or dark matter, is spread out around a galaxy, making it hold together like a strong, fluffy snowman.

Think of dark matter as invisible glue that holds galaxies together. The NFW profile shows how this glue gets thinner and thinner as you move away from the center of the galaxy, just like how your snowman might be denser at the bottom and fluffier on top.

This special recipe helps scientists understand not only our own Milky Way but also faraway galaxies they can't see directly. It’s like having a map that shows them exactly where to look for hidden treasure, even if they can’t see it yet!