Sterile neutrinos as dark matter in clusters and galaxies

The recent analysis of MiniBooNE experiment suggests that a better fit of the data arises if there are 2 types of sterile neutrinos. If the sterile neutrinos were produced during the early epoch of the Big Bang, they would be slightly degenerate. I show that the existence of 2 types slightly degenerate sterile neutrinos can fully explain the dark matter problem, the cusp problem, the hot gas density profile in clusters and the rotation curves of galaxies.     

Clustering of galaxy clusters in cold dark matter universes

We use very large cosmological N -body simulations to obtain accurate predictions for the two-point correlations and power spectra of mass-limited samples of galaxy clusters. We consider two currently popular cold dark matter (CDM) cosmogonies, a critical density model ( τ CDM) and a flat low density model with a cosmological constant (ΛCDM). Our simulations each use 10⁹ particles to follow the mass distribution within cubes of side 2  h ⁻¹ Gpc ( τ CDM) and 3  h ⁻¹ Gpc (ΛCDM) with a force resolution better than 10⁻⁴ of the cube side. We investigate how the predicted cluster correlations increase for samples of increasing mass and decreasing abundance. Very similar behaviour is found in the two cases. The correlation length increases from     for samples with mean separation     to     for samples with     The lower value here corresponds to τ CDM and the upper to ΛCDM. The power spectra of these cluster samples are accurately parallel to those of the mass over more than a decade in scale. Both correlation lengths and power spectrum biases can be predicted to better than 10 per cent using the simple model of Sheth, Mo & Tormen. This prediction requires only the linear mass power spectrum and has no adjustable parameters. We compare our predictions with published results for the automated plate measurement (APM) cluster sample. The observed variation of correlation length with richness agrees well with the models, particularly for ΛCDM. The observed power spectrum (for a cluster sample of mean separation     ) lies significantly above the predictions of both models.     

Constraints on dark matter physics from dwarf galaxies through galaxy cluster haloes

One of the predictions of the standard cold dark matter model is that dark haloes have centrally divergent density profiles. An extensive body of rotation curve observations of dwarf and low surface brightness galaxies shows the dark haloes of those systems to be characterized by soft constant-density central cores. Several physical processes have been proposed to produce soft cores in dark haloes, each one with different scaling properties. With the aim of discriminating among them we have examined the rotation curves of dark-matter-dominated dwarf and low surface brightness galaxies and the inner mass profiles of two clusters of galaxies lacking a central cD galaxy and with evidence of soft cores in the centre. The core radii and central densities of these haloes scale in a well-defined manner with the depth of their potential wells, as measured through the maximum circular velocity. As a result of our analysis we identify self-interacting cold dark matter as a viable solution to the core problem, where a non-singular isothermal core is formed in the halo centre surrounded by a Navarro, Frenk & White profile in the outer parts. We show that this particular physical situation predicts core radii in agreement with observations. Furthermore, using the observed scalings, we derive an expression for the minimum cross-section ( σ ) which has an explicit dependence with the halo dispersion velocity ( v ). If m _x is the mass of the dark matter particle: σ m _x ≈4×10⁻²⁵ (100 km s⁻¹  v ⁻¹) cm² GeV⁻¹.     

Constraining the dark matter annihilation cross-section with Cherenkov telescope observations of dwarf galaxies

The presence of dark matter in the halo of our Galaxy could be revealed through indirect detection of its annihilation products. Dark matter annihilation is one possible interpretation of the recently measured excesses in positron and electron fluxes, provided that boost factors of the order of 10³ or more are taken into account. Such boost factors are actually achievable through the velocity-dependent Sommerfeld enhancement of the annihilation cross-section. Here, we study the expected γ-ray flux from two local dwarf galaxies for which Cherenkov telescope measurements are available, namely Draco and Sagittarius. We use recent stellar kinematical measurements to model the dark matter haloes of the dwarfs and the results of numerical simulations to model the presence of an associated population of subhaloes. We incorporate the Sommerfeld enhancement of the annihilation cross-section. We compare our predictions with the observations of Draco and Sagittarius performed by MAGIC and HESS, respectively, and derive exclusion limits on the effective annihilation cross-section. We also study the sensitivities of Fermi and of the future Cherenkov telescope array to cross-section enhancements. We find that the boost factor due to the Sommerfeld enhancement is already constrained by the MAGIC and HESS data, with enhancements greater than ∼10⁴ being excluded.     

Determination of true velocity dispersion and the dark matter problem in clusters of galaxies

According to the convention normally followed the redshifts of the galaxies in a cluster are assumed to be of purely dopplerian origin. The resulting velocity dispersion, when used in the virial theorem, leads to a very large proportion of dark matter to be present in the galaxy clusters. However, the recently proposed model of velocity dependent cosmic drag cause redshifts of photons and it is necessary to develop a procedure to determine the true velocity dispersion from the gross redshift data. A method for this has been presented in the paper. Coma and Perseus clusters have been investigated using this procedure and theM/L ratios for both were found to be approximately of the order of 30, i.e., approximately the order ofM/L ratios for individual galaxies. A study of them -z relation indicates that the galaxies with higher redshifts have fainter magnitudes. Distortion of the redshift plots and the typical elongation of the core regions along the line-of-sight is also explained.     

Tidal disruption of globular clusters in dwarf galaxies with triaxial dark matter haloes

We use N -body simulations to study the tidal evolution of globular clusters (GCs) in dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies. Our models adopt a cosmologically motivated scenario in which the dSph is approximated by a static Navarro, Frenk & White halo with a triaxial shape. We apply our models to five GCs spanning three orders of magnitude in stellar density and two in mass, chosen to represent the properties exhibited by the five GCs of the Fornax dSph. We show that only the object representing Fornax's least dense GC (F1) can be fully disrupted by Fornax's internal tidal field – the four denser clusters survive even if their orbits decay to the centre of Fornax. For a large set of orbits and projection angles, we examine the spatial and velocity distribution of stellar debris deposited during the complete disruption of an F1-like GC. Our simulations show that such debris appears as shells, isolated clumps and elongated overdensities at low surface brightness (≥26 mag arcsec⁻²), reminiscent of substructure observed in several Milky Way dSphs. Such features arise from the triaxiality of the galaxy potential and do not dissolve in time. The kinematics of the debris depends strongly on the progenitor's orbit. Debris associated with box and resonant orbits does not display stream motions and may appear 'colder'/'hotter' than the dSph's field population if the viewing angle is perpendicular/parallel to the progenitor's orbital plane. In contrast, debris associated with loop orbits shows a rotational velocity that may be detectable out to a few kpc from the galaxy centre. Chemical tagging that can distinguish GC debris from field stars may reveal whether the merger of GCs contributed to the formation of multiple stellar components observed in dSphs.     

Gravitational stability of dark energy in galaxies and clusters of galaxies

We analyze the behavior of the scalar field as dark energy of the Universe in a static world of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. We find the analytical solutions of evolution equations of the density and velocity perturbations of dark matter and dark energy, which interact only gravitationally, along with the perturbations of metric in a static world with background Minkowski metric. It was shown that quintessential and phantom dark energy in the static world of galaxies and clusters of galaxies is gravitationally stable and can only oscillate by the influence of self-gravity. In the gravitational field of dark matter perturbations, it is able to condense monotonically, but the amplitude of density and velocity perturbations on all scales remains small. It was also illustrated that the “accretion” of phantom dark energy in the region of dark matter overdensities causes formation of dark energy underdensities-the regions with negative amplitude of density perturbations of dark energy.     

The cross-correlation between galaxies and groups: probing the galaxy distribution in and around dark matter haloes

Some massive binaries should contain energetic pulsars which inject relativistic leptons from their inner magnetospheres and/or pulsar wind regions. If the binary system is compact enough, then these leptons can initiate inverse Compton (IC) e^± pair cascades in the anisotropic radiation field of a massive star. γ-rays can be produced in the IC cascade during its development in a pulsar wind region and above a shock in a massive star wind region where the propagation of leptons is determined by the structure of a magnetic field around the massive star. For a binary system with specific parameters, we calculate phase-dependent spectra and fluxes of γ-rays escaping as a function of the inclination angle of the system and for different assumptions on injection conditions of the primary leptons (their initial spectra and location of the shock inside the binary). We conclude that the features of γ-ray emission from such massive binaries containing energetic pulsars should allow us to obtain important information on the acceleration of particles by the pulsars, and on interactions of a compact object with the massive star wind. Predicted γ-ray light curves and spectra in the GeV and TeV energy ranges from such binary systems within our Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds should be observed by future AGILE and GLAST satellites and low-threshold Cherenkov telescopes, such as MAGIC, HESS, VERITAS or CANGAROO III.     

Sterile neutrino fits to dark matter mass profiles in the Milky Way and in galaxy clusters

In recent papers it was claimed that SN 1987A data supports the existence of 4.0 eV and 21.4 eV active neutrino mass eigenstates, and it was suggested that such large active neutrino masses could be made consistent with existing constraints including neutrino oscillation data and upper limits on the neutrino flavor state masses. The requirement was that there exist a pair of sterile neutrino mass states nearly degenerate with the active ones, plus a third active-sterile doublet that is tachyonic (m ²<0). Here, independent evidence is presented for the existence of sterile neutrinos with the previously claimed masses based on fits to the dark matter distributions in the Milky Way galaxy and four clusters of galaxies. The fits are in excellent agreement with observations within the uncertainties of the masses. In addition, sterile neutrinos having the suggested masses address the “cusp” problem and the missing satellites problem, as well as that of the “top down” scenario of structure formation—previously a chief drawback of HDM particles. Nevertheless, due to the highly controversial nature of the claim, and the need for two free parameters in the dark matter fits, additional confirming evidence will be required before it can be considered proven.     

The dark matter problem in disc galaxies

In the generic CDM cosmogony, dark-matter haloes emerge too lumpy and centrally concentrated to host observed galactic discs. Moreover, discs are predicted to be smaller than those observed. We argue that the resolution of these problems may lie with a combination of the effects of protogalactic discs, which would have had a mass comparable to that of the inner dark halo and be plausibly non-axisymmetric, and of massive galactic winds, which at early times may have carried off as many baryons as a galaxy now contains. A host of observational phenomena, from quasar absorption lines and intracluster gas through the G-dwarf problem, point to the existence of such winds. Dynamical interactions will homogenize and smooth the inner halo, and the observed disc will be the relic of a massive outflow. The inner halo expanded after absorbing energy and angular momentum from the ejected material. Observed discs formed at the very end of the galaxy formation process, after the halo had been reduced to a minor contributor to the central mass budget and strong radial streaming of the gas had died down.     

The dark matter distribution in disc galaxies

We use high-quality optical rotation curves of nine low-luminosity disc galaxies to obtain the velocity profiles of the surrounding dark matter haloes. We find that they increase linearly with radius at least out to the edge of the stellar disc, implying that, over the entire stellar region, the density of the dark halo is about constant.
The properties of the mass structure of these haloes are similar to those found for a number of dwarf and low surface brightness galaxies, but provide a more substantial evidence of the discrepancy between the halo mass distribution predicted in the cold dark matter scenario and those actually detected around galaxies. We find that the density law proposed by Burkert reproduces the halo rotation curves, with halo central densities ( ρ ₀∼1–4×10⁻²⁴ g cm⁻³) and core radii ( r ₀∼5–15 kpc) scaling as ρ ₀∝ r ₀^−2/3.     

Marriage à-la-MOND: Baryonic dark matter in galaxy clusters and the cooling flow puzzle

I start with a brief introduction to MOND phenomenology and its possible roots in cosmology—a notion that may turn out to be the most far reaching aspect of MOND. Next I discuss the implications of MOND for the dark matter (DM) doctrine: MOND’s successes imply that baryons determine everything. For DM this would mean that the puny tail of leftover baryons in galaxies wags the hefty DM dog. This has to occur in many intricate ways, and despite the haphazard construction history of galaxies—a very tall order. I then concentrate on galaxy clusters in light of MOND, which still requires some yet undetected cluster dark matter, presumably in some baryonic form (CBDM). This CBDM might contribute to the heating of the X-ray emitting gas and thus alleviate the cooling flow puzzle. MOND, qua theory of dynamics, does not directly enter the microphysics of the gas; however, it does force a new outlook on the role of DM in shaping the cluster gas dynamics: MOND tells us that the cluster DM is not cold dark matter, is not so abundant, and is not expected in galaxies; it is thus not subject to constraints on baryonic DM in galaxies. The mass in CBDM required in a whole cluster is, typically, similar to that in hot gas, but is rather more centrally concentrated, totally dominating the core. The CBDM contribution to the baryon budget in the universe is thus small. Its properties, deduced for isolated clusters, are consistent with the observations of the “bullet cluster”. Its kinetic energy reservoir is much larger than that of the hot gas in the core, and would suffice to keep the gas hot for many cooling times. Heating can be effected in various ways depending on the exact nature of the CBDM, from very massive black holes to cool, compact gas clouds.