Dark stars: structure, evolution and impacts upon the high-redshift Universe

TL;DR

This paper explores how dark matter annihilation could alter stellar structures and evolution, and discusses potential effects on the early universe's reionisation, supported by new stellar models and public code.

Contribution

It introduces a series of dark stellar evolutionary models and a public code, providing new tools to study dark stars and their cosmological impacts.

Findings

Dark stars have distinct structures due to dark matter annihilation.

Dark stars could significantly influence the timeline of reionisation.

Preliminary models suggest notable effects on high-redshift universe evolution.

Abstract

The most compelling and popular models for dark matter predict that it should congregate and annihilate in stellar cores. Stars where annihilation contributes substantially to the total energy budget look very different to those with which we are familiar. Here I explain the general features of stars modified by dark matter annihilation with the help of a series of grids of 'dark' stellar evolutionary models, and describe the public code with which they were computed. I go on to discuss possible impacts of dark stars on the high-redshift Universe, including the history of reionisation. The preliminary reionisation calculations reproduced here are based on dedicated models for dark star atmospheres, and for the stellar populations to which dark stars would belong.