Constraining decaying dark matter models with gravitational lensing and cosmic voids

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational lensing and cosmic voids can be used to constrain models of dark matter decay, providing a new way to understand dark matter properties through astrophysical observations.

Contribution

It extends previous models of decaying dark matter by improving the decay modeling and analyzing gravitational lensing signals to constrain decay parameters.

Findings

Dark matter decay affects cosmic void growth.

Weak lensing signals can detect or constrain decay parameters.

Future surveys may uniquely probe dark matter decay models.

Abstract

Despite overwhelming observational evidence for dark matter, we still have no evidence of direct detection. Consequently, our knowledge about dark matter is limited, for example, we do not know if dark matter is a stable particle or if it decays. Without a theoretical particle model, the parameter space of possible decay models is highly variable, and astrophysical or cosmological means of indirectly constraining the phenomenological models are required. This paper investigates a scenario in which a dark matter decays and the dark daughter particle moves with respect to the comoving mother particle. The model is parameterised by the decay rate and the injection velocity of the dark matter particles, which can be converted to the mass ratio. In previous work, a simpler model was used to investigate the evolution of cosmic voids typified as regions with low content of galaxies and non-baryonic matter. It was found that the growth of S-type voids is modified by the dark matter decay, leading to imprints at the present day. Here we extend our study and improve the method used to model the decay. We also study the gravitational weak-lensing signal that will be able to detect or constrain the parameter space of decaying dark matter. The results of this study suggest that future weak lensing surveys may provide unique probes of the phenomological parameters of dark matter.