A warning on the determination of the halo mass

TL;DR

This paper critically examines methods for determining dark matter halo mass, highlighting how extra assumptions can bias results and lead to inconsistencies in understanding dark matter properties.

Contribution

It identifies common biases and assumptions in halo mass estimation studies, emphasizing the need for careful analysis to avoid misleading conclusions.

Findings

Extra assumptions often bias halo mass estimates

Some studies incorporate assumptions about dark matter nature

Inconsistent results can arise from biased methodologies

Abstract

We summarize our studies on the determination of the mass of the dark matter halo, based on observations of rotation curves of test particles or of the gravitational lensing. As we show, it is not uncommon that some studies on the nature of dark matter include extra assumptions, some even on the very nature of the dark matter, what we want to determine!, and that bias the studies and the results obtained from the observation and, in some cases, imply an inconsistent system altogether.