The Effective Theory of Self-Interacting Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper develops an effective non-relativistic framework for self-interacting dark matter, classifies interactions, and explores their astrophysical implications, including the Sommerfeld enhancement and the core-cusp problem.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic approach to model long-range dark matter interactions and their quantum field theory origins, with methods to handle singular potentials and calculate enhancements.

Findings

Renormalization techniques for singular potentials

Calculation of Sommerfeld enhancement effects

Implications for dark matter astrophysical observations

Abstract

We present an effective non-relativistic theory of self-interacting dark matter. We classify the long range interactions and discuss how they can be generated from quantum field theories. Generic dark sectors can generate singular potentials. We show how to consistently renormalize such potentials and apply this to the calculation of the Sommerfeld enhancement of dark matter interactions. We explore further applications of this enhancement to astrophysical probes of dark matter including the core vs. cusp problem.