Constraints on Dark Matter from Dynamical Heating of Stars in Ultrafaint Dwarfs. Part 1: MACHOs and Primordial Black Holes

TL;DR

This study uses the observed sizes of ultrafaint dwarf galaxies to set limits on dark matter composed of massive compact objects like MACHOs and primordial black holes, improving previous constraints especially for objects between 10 and 10^8 solar masses.

Contribution

The paper introduces an improved calculation of gravitational heating effects, including tidal interactions and mass migration, to better constrain MACHO and PBH dark matter in ultrafaint dwarf galaxies.

Findings

UFDs strongly constrain MACHO dark matter in the 10 to 10^8 solar mass range.

Enhanced heating rate calculations tighten previous limits on massive compact dark matter objects.

Constraints are the strongest over most of the considered mass range.

Abstract

We place limits on dark matter made up of compact objects significantly heavier than a solar mass, such as MACHOs or primordial black holes (PBHs). In galaxies, the gas of such objects is generally hotter than the gas of stars and will thus heat the gas of stars even through purely gravitational interactions. Ultrafaint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) maximize this effect. Observations of the half-light radius in UFDs thus place limits on MACHO dark matter. We build upon previous constraints with an improved heating rate calculation including both direct and tidal heating, and consideration of the heavier mass range above $10^4 \, M_\odot$. Additionally we find that MACHOs may lose energy and migrate in to the center of the UFD, increasing the heat transfer to the stars. UFDs can constrain MACHO dark matter with masses between about $10 M_\odot$ and $10^8 M_\odot$ and these are the strongest constraints over most of this range.