Signature of the interaction between dark energy and dark matter in observations

TL;DR

This paper explores how interactions between dark energy and dark matter influence galaxy cluster dynamics, using observational data to constrain the strength of such interactions and finding evidence for a positive coupling.

Contribution

It introduces a modified Layser-Irvine equation to include dark sector interactions and constrains the coupling strength using galaxy cluster observations.

Findings

Positive dark energy-dark matter interaction is consistent with data

Constraints on the interaction strength are established

Results align with other observational constraints

Abstract

We investigate the effect of an interaction between dark energy and dark matter upon the dynamics of galaxy clusters. This effect is computed through the Layser-Irvine equation, which describes how an astrophysical system reaches virial equilibrium and was modified to include the dark interactions. Using observational data from almost 100 purportedly relaxed galaxy clusters we put constraints on the strength of the couplings in the dark sector. We compare our results with those from other observations and find that a positive (in the sense of energy flow from dark energy to dark matter) non vanishing interaction is consistent with the data within several standard deviations.