Tidal Deformability as a Probe of Dark Matter in Neutron Stars

TL;DR

This paper explores how self-interacting bosonic dark matter influences neutron star properties like mass and tidal deformability, using gravitational wave and X-ray data to compare theoretical models with observations.

Contribution

It introduces a model of dark matter within neutron stars, analyzing its effects on observable properties and comparing predictions with recent gravitational wave and X-ray data.

Findings

Dark matter presence affects neutron star maximum mass

Dark matter alters neutron star tidal deformability

Model matches observational data from LIGO/Virgo and NICER

Abstract

The concept of boson stars (BSs) was first introduced by Kaup and Ruffini-Bonazzola in the 1960s. Following this idea, we investigate an effect of self-interacting asymmetric bosonic dark matter (DM) according to Colpi et al. model for BSs (1986) on different observable properties of neutron stars (NSs). In this paper, the bosonic DM and baryonic matter (BM) are mixed together and interact only through gravitational force. The presence of DM as a core of a compact star or as an extended halo around it is examined by applying different boson masses and DM fractions for a fixed coupling constant. The impact of DM core/halo formations on a DM admixed NS properties is probed through the maximum mass and tidal deformability of NSs. Thanks to the recent detection of Gravitational-Waves (GWs) and the latest X-ray observations, the DM admixed NS's features are compared to LIGO/Virgo and NICER results.