Ruling Out Bosonic Repulsive Dark Matter in Thermal Equilibrium

TL;DR

This paper rules out the possibility that dark matter is a repulsive boson in thermal equilibrium by deriving constraints from halo models and astrophysical observations, showing no consistent parameter space exists.

Contribution

It develops a detailed thermal equilibrium model for repulsive bosonic dark matter and demonstrates that observational constraints exclude this scenario.

Findings

No viable parameter space for repulsive bosonic dark matter in thermal equilibrium.

Constraints from rotation curves and Bullet Cluster measurements are incompatible.

Dark matter as a repulsive boson must be out of thermal equilibrium, with very low mass.

Abstract

Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), especially bosonic, has been considered a promising candidate to replace cold dark matter (CDM) as it resolves some of the problems associated with CDM. Here, we rule out the possibility that dark matter is a repulsive boson in thermal equilibrium. We develop the model first proposed by Goodman (2000) and derive the equation of state at finite temperature. Isothermal spherical halo models indicate a Bose-Einstein condensed core surrounded by a non-degenerate envelope, with an abrupt density drop marking the boundary between the two phases. Comparing this feature with observed rotation curves constrains the interaction strength of our model's DM particle, and Bullet Cluster measurements constrain the scattering cross section. Both ultimately can be cast as constraints on the particle's mass. We find these two constraints cannot be satisfied simultaneously in any realistic halo model---and hence dark matter cannot be a repulsive boson in thermal equilibrium. It is still left open that DM may be a repulsive boson provided it is not in thermal equilibrium; this requires that the mass of the particle be significantly less than a millivolt.