Head-on collision of multi-state ultralight BEC dark matter configurations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the head-on collisions of multi-state ultralight Bose-Einstein Condensate dark matter configurations using numerical simulations, revealing their potential to form core-tail density profiles similar to those observed in cosmic structures.

Contribution

It introduces the first dynamical simulations of multi-state GPP configurations colliding, demonstrating their ability to produce realistic core-tail density profiles in structure formation.

Findings

Head-on collisions can produce core-tail density profiles.

Merger dynamics depend on solitonic or merging regimes.

Relaxation processes lead to attractor density profiles.

Abstract

Density profiles of ultralight Bose-Condensate dark matter inferred from numerical simulations of structure formation, ruled by the Gross-Pitaevskii-Poisson (GPP) system of equations, have a core-tail structure. Multi-state equilibrium configurations of the GPP system on the other hand, have a similar core-tail density profile. We now submit these multi-state configurations to highly dynamical scenarios and show their potential as providers of appropriate density profiles of structures. What we do is to present the simulation of head-on collisions between two equilibrium configurations of the GPP system of equations, including the collision of ground state with multi-state configurations. We study the regimes of solitonic and merger behavior, and show generic properties of the dynamics of the system, including the relaxation process and attractor density profiles. We show the merger of multi-state configurations have the potential to produce core-tail density profiles, with the core dominated by the ground state and a halo dominated by an additional states.