Self-interacting dark matter

In astrophysics and particle physics, self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) is an alternative class of dark matter particles which have strong interactions, in contrast to the standard cold dark matter model (CDM). SIDM was postulated in 2000[1] as a solution to the core-cusp[2][3][4] problem. In the simplest models of DM self-interactions, a Yukawa-type potential and a force carrier φ mediates between two dark matter particles.[5] On galactic scales, DM self-interaction leads to energy and momentum exchange between DM particles. Over cosmological time scales this results in isothermal cores in the central region of dark matter haloes.

If the self-interacting dark matter is in hydrostatic equilibrium, its pressure and density follow:

\( {\displaystyle \nabla P_{\chi }/\rho _{\chi }=\nabla \Phi _{\rm {tot}}=\nabla (\Phi _{\chi }+\Phi _{b})} \)

where \( {\displaystyle \Phi _{\chi }} \) and \( {\displaystyle \Phi _{b}} \) are the gravitational potential of the dark matter and a baryon respectively. The equation naturally correlates the dark matter distribution to that of the baryonic matter distribution. With this correlation, the self-interacting dark matter can explain phenomena such as the Tully-Fisher relation.

Self-interacting dark matter has also been postulated as an explanation for the DAMA annual modulation signal.[6][7][8]
See also

MACS J0025.4-1222, astronomical observations that constrain DM self-interaction
ESO 146-5, the core of Abell 3827 that was claimed as the first evidence of SIDM
Strongly interacting massive particle (SIMP), proposed to explain cosmic ray data
Lambda-CDM model

References

Spergel, David N.; Steinhardt, Paul J. (April 2000). "Observational Evidence for Self-Interacting Cold Dark Matter". Physical Review Letters. 84 (17): 3760–3763. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.3760. ISSN 0031-9007.
Moore, Ben (August 1994). "Evidence against dissipation-less dark matter from observations of galaxy haloes". Nature. 370 (6491): 629–631. doi:10.1038/370629a0. ISSN 0028-0836.
Oh, Se-Heon; de Blok, W. J. G.; Walter, Fabian; Brinks, Elias; Kennicutt, Robert C. (December 2008). "High-Resolution Dark Matter Density Profiles of THINGS Dwarf Galaxies: Correcting for Noncircular Motions". The Astronomical Journal. 136 (6): 2761–2781. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/136/6/2761. ISSN 0004-6256.
Oh, Se-Heon; Hunter, Deidre A.; Brinks, Elias; Elmegreen, Bruce G.; Schruba, Andreas; Walter, Fabian; Rupen, Michael P.; Young, Lisa M.; Simpson, Caroline E.; Johnson, Megan C.; Herrmann, Kimberly A. (June 2015). "High-resolution Mass Models of Dwarf Galaxies from LITTLE THINGS". The Astronomical Journal. 149 (6): 180. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/149/6/180. ISSN 0004-6256.
Loeb, Abraham; Weiner, Neal (April 2011). "Cores in Dwarf Galaxies from Dark Matter with a Yukawa Potential". Physical Review Letters. 106 (17): 171302. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.171302. ISSN 0031-9007.
Mitra, Saibal (15 June 2005). "Has DAMA detected self-interacting dark matter?". Physical Review D. 71 (12): 121302. arXiv:astro-ph/0409121. Bibcode:2005PhRvD..71l1302M. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.71.121302.
Moskowitz, Clara (20 April 2015). "Dark Matter May Feel a "Dark Force" That the Rest of the Universe Does Not". Scientific American.

Richard Massey; et al. (June 2015). "The behaviour of dark matter associated with four bright cluster galaxies in the 10 kpc core of Abell 3827". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 449 (4P): 3393–3406. arXiv:1504.03388. Bibcode:2015MNRAS.449.3393M. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv467. commentary The Possible First Signs of Self-interacting Dark Matter