Head-on collisions of fuzzy/cold dark matter subhalos

TL;DR

This study compares head-on collisions of dark matter subhalos in fuzzy dark matter and cold dark matter models, revealing significant differences in energy dissipation and stabilization mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a novel simulation approach for FDM and CDM collisions, highlighting the distinct gravitational cooling process in FDM.

Findings

FDM subhalos experience greater velocity decrease than CDM.

Gravitational cooling stabilizes FDM subhalos by dissipating kinetic energy.

FDM can better explain complex galaxy cluster collision phenomena.

Abstract

We perform head-on collision simulations of compact dark matter subhalos using distinct numerical methods for fuzzy dark matter (FDM) and cold dark matter (CDM) models. For FDM, we solve the Schr\"odinger-Poisson equations with a pseudospectral solver, while for CDM, we utilize a smoothed particle hydrodynamics N-body code. Our results show that velocity decrease of subhalos is significantly greater in FDM model than in CDM, particularly at lower initial velocities, attributed to gravitational cooling-a unique mechanism of stabilizing in FDM with dissipating kinetic energy. This stark contrast in energy dissipation between two DM models suggests that FDM may offer valuable insights into understanding the dynamic behaviors of DM during galaxy cluster collisions, such as those observed in the Bullet cluster and Abell 520. These findings strongly suggest that FDM is not only capable of explaining these complex astrophysical phenomena but also serves as a compelling alternative to the traditional CDM model, offering resolutions to longstanding discrepancies in DM behavior.