Re-Examining Astrophysical Constraints on the Dark Matter Model

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent simulation results showing baryonic effects on galaxy dark matter structures and re-evaluates observational constraints on dark matter models, focusing on WDM and SIDM alternatives to CDM.

Contribution

It provides a critical re-examination of observational constraints on dark matter models considering recent simulation insights and highlights the need for better theoretical predictions for SIDM.

Findings

WDM particles must be very heavy, making WDM similar to CDM.

Dark matter distribution in dwarf galaxies is key to testing SIDM.

Baryonic physics significantly impacts dark matter structure predictions.

Abstract

Recent high-resolution simulations that include Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and baryons have shown that baryonic physics can dramatically alter the dark matter structure of galaxies. These results modify our predictions for observed galaxy evolution and structure. Given these updated expectations, it is timely to re-examine observational constraints on the dark matter model. A few observations are reviewed that may indirectly trace dark matter, and may help confirm or deny possible dark matter models. Warm Dark Matter (WDM) and Self-Interacting Dark Matter (SIDM) are currently the favorite alternative models to CDM. Constraints on the WDM particle mass require it to be so heavy that WDM is nearly indistinguishable from CDM. The best observational test of SIDM is likely to be in the dark matter distribution of faint dwarf galaxies, but there is a lack of theoretical predictions for galaxy structure in SIDM that account for the role of baryons.