Mapping dark matter in the Milky Way, a synopsis

TL;DR

This paper reviews current methods and recent developments in mapping the dark matter distribution in the Milky Way, highlighting new kinematic data, baryonic models, and constraints on dark matter and alternative theories.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent observational data, models, and constraints, including new kinematic measurements and baryonic models, advancing our understanding of the Galaxy's dark matter.

Findings

New compilation of Galactic rotation curve data

Updated baryonic mass distribution models

Refined constraints on dark matter distribution

Abstract

Mapping the dark matter distribution across our Galaxy represents a central challenge for the near future as a new generation of space-borne and ground-based astronomical surveys swiftly comes online. Here we present a synopsis of the present status of the field, reviewing briefly the baryonic content and the kinematics of the Milky Way and outlining the methods used to infer the dark matter component. The discussion then proceeds with some of the latest developments based on our own work. In particular, we present a new compilation of kinematic measurements tracing the rotation curve of the Galaxy and an exhaustive array of observation-based baryonic models setting the contribution of stellar bulge, stellar disc and gas to the total gravitational potential. The discrepancy between these two components is then quantified to derive the latest constraints on the dark matter distribution and on modified Newtonian dynamics. We shall end with an overview of future directions to improve our mapping of the dark matter distribution in the Milky Way.