Dark Matter Seeding in Neutron Stars

TL;DR

This paper proposes a mechanism where dark matter particles within neutron stars can induce quark deconfinement, potentially transforming the star into a strange star, and establishes new constraints on WIMP masses based on this process.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dark matter-induced quark deconfinement mechanism in neutron stars and sets new limits on WIMP mass in the few-GeV range.

Findings

Dark matter can trigger quark deconfinement in neutron stars.

WIMP masses above a few GeV can provide enough energy for strangelet formation.

New limits on WIMP mass are consistent with recent dark matter detection results.

Abstract

We present a mechanism that may seed compact stellar objects with stable lumps of quark matter, or {\it strangelets}, through the self-annihilation of gravitationally accreted WIMPs. We show that dark matter particles with masses above a few GeV may provide enough energy in the nuclear medium for quark deconfinement and subsequent strangelet formation. If this happens this effect may then trigger a partial or full conversion of the star into a strange star. We set a new limit on the WIMP mass in the few-GeV range that seems to be consistent with recent indications in dark matter direct detection experiments.