133 research outputs found
Dynamical Instability of Self-Tuning Solution with Antisymmetric Tensor Field
We consider the dynamical stability of a static brane model that incorporates
a three-index antisymmetric tensor field and has recently been proposed as a
possible solution to the cosmological constant problem. Ultimately, we are able
to establish the existence of time-dependent, purely gravitational
perturbations. As a consequence, the static solution of interest is
``dangerously'' located at an unstable saddle point. This outcome is suggestive
of a hidden fine tuning in what is an otherwise self-tuning model.Comment: 16 Pages, Latex; Discussion added but conclusions unchange
Density Profiles of Cold Dark Matter Substructure: Implications for the Missing Satellites Problem
The structural evolution of substructure in cold dark matter (CDM) models is
investigated combining ``low-resolution'' satellites from cosmological N-body
simulations of parent halos with N=10^7 particles with high-resolution
individual subhalos orbiting within a static host potential. We show that, as a
result of mass loss, convergence in the central density profiles requires the
initial satellites to be resolved with N=10^7 particles and parsec-scale force
resolution. We find that the density profiles of substructure halos can be well
fitted with a power-law central slope that is unmodified by tidal forces even
after the tidal stripping of over 99% of the initial mass and an exponential
cutoff in the outer parts. The solution to the missing-satellites problem
advocated by Stoehr et al. in 2002 relied on the flattening of the dark matter
(DM) halo central density cusps by gravitational tides, enabling the observed
satellites to be embedded within DM halos with maximum circular velocities as
large as 60 km/s. In contrast, our results suggest that tidal interactions do
not provide the mechanism for associating the dwarf spheroidal satellites
(dSphs) of the Milky Way with the most massive substructure halos expected in a
CDM universe. We compare the predicted velocity dispersion profiles of Fornax
and Draco to observations, assuming that they are embedded in CDM halos. Models
with isotropic and tangentially anisotropic velocity distributions for the
stellar component fit the data only if the surrounding DM halos have maximum
circular velocities in the range 20-35 km/s. If the dSphs are embedded within
halos this large then the overabundance of satellites within the concordance
LCDM cosmological model is significantly alleviated, but this still does not
provide the entire solution.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 17 pages, 9 figures, LaTeX (uses
emulateapj5.sty
The Via Lactea INCITE Simulation: Galactic Dark Matter Substructure at High Resolution
It is a clear unique prediction of the cold dark matter paradigm of
cosmological structure formation that galaxies form hierarchically and are
embedded in massive, extended dark halos teeming with self-bound substructure
or "subhalos". The amount and spatial distribution of subhalos around their
host provide unique information and clues on the galaxy assembly process and
the nature of the dark matter. Here we present results from the Via Lactea
INCITE simulation, a one billion particle, one million cpu-hour simulation of
the formation and evolution of a Galactic dark matter halo and its substructure
population.Comment: 10 pages, Proceedings of the SciDAC 2008 conference, (Seattle, July
13-17, 2008
Substructure Boosts to Dark Matter Annihilation from Sommerfeld Enhancement
The recently introduced Sommerfeld enhancement of the dark matter
annihilation cross section has important implications for the detection of dark
matter annihilation in subhalos in the Galactic halo. In addition to the boost
to the dark matter annihilation cross section from the high densities of these
subhalos with respect to the main halo, an additional boost caused by the
Sommerfeld enhancement results from the fact that they are kinematically colder
than the Galactic halo. If we further believe the generic prediction of CDM
that in each subhalo there is an abundance of substructure which is
approximately self-similar to that of the Galactic halo, then I show that
additional boosts coming from the density enhancements of these small
substructures and their small velocity dispersions enhance the dark matter
annihilation cross section even further. I find that very large boost factors
( to ) are obtained in a large class of models. The implications of
these boost factors for the detection of dark matter annihilation from dwarf
Spheroidal galaxies in the Galactic halo are such that, generically, they
outshine the background gamma-ray flux and are detectable by the Fermi
Gamma-ray Space Telescope.Comment: PRD in pres
The galactic halo in mixed dark matter cosmologies
A possible solution to the small scale problems of the cold dark matter (CDM) scenario is that the dark matter consists of two components, a cold and a warm one. We perform a set of high resolution simulations of the Milky Way halo varying the mass of the WDM particle (mWDM) and the cosmic dark matter mass fraction in the WDM component (bar fW). The scaling ansatz introduced in combined analysis of LHC and astroparticle searches postulates that the relative contribution of each dark matter component is the same locally as on average in the Universe (e.g. fW,odot = bar fW). Here we find however, that the normalised local WDM fraction (fW,odot / bar fW) depends strongly on mWDM for mWDM < 1 keV. Using the scaling ansatz can therefore introduce significant errors into the interpretation of dark matter searches. To correct this issue a simple formula that fits the local dark matter densities of each component is provided
Analytical Approach to Subhaloes Population in Dark Matter Haloes
In the standard model of cosmic structure formation, dark matter haloes form
by gravitational instability. The process is hierarchical: smaller systems
collapse earlier, and later merge to form larger haloes. The galaxy clusters,
hosted by the largest dark matter haloes, are at the top of this hierarchy
representing the largest as well as the last structures formed in the universe,
while the smaller and first haloes are those Earth-sized dark subhaloes which
have been both predicted by theoretical considerations and found in numerical
simulations, though it does not exist any observational hints of their
existence. The probability that a halo of mass at redshift will be part
of a larger halo of mass at the present time can be described in the frame
of the extended Press & Schecter theory making use of the progenitor
(conditional) mass function. Using the progenitor mass function we calculate
analytically, at redshift zero, the distribution of subhaloes in mass,
formation epoch and rarity of the peak of the density field at the formation
epoch. That is done for a Milky Way-size system, assuming both a spherical and
an ellipsoidal collapse model. Our calculation assumes that small progenitors
do not lose mass due to dynamical processes after entering the parent halo, and
that they do not interact with other subhaloes. For a CDM
power spectrum we obtain a subhalo mass function
proportional to with a model-independent .
Assuming the dark matter is a weakly interacting massive particle, the inferred
distributions is used to test the feasibility of an indirect detection in the
-rays energy band of such a population of subhaloes with a GLAST-like
satellite.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures - submitted to MNRA
The detection of sub-solar mass dark matter halos
Dark matter halos of sub-solar mass are the first bound objects to form in
cold dark matter theories. In this article, I discuss the present understanding
of "microhalos'', their role in structure formation, and the implications of
their potential presence, in the interpretation of dark matter experiments.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures. Invited contribution to NJP Focus Issue on "Dark
Matter and Particle Physics
Gravitational detection of a low-mass dark satellite at cosmological distance
The mass-function of dwarf satellite galaxies that are observed around Local
Group galaxies substantially differs from simulations based on cold dark
matter: the simulations predict many more dwarf galaxies than are seen. The
Local Group, however, may be anomalous in this regard. A massive dark satellite
in an early-type lens galaxy at z = 0.222 was recently found using a new method
based on gravitational lensing, suggesting that the mass fraction contained in
substructure could be higher than is predicted from simulations. The lack of
very low mass detections, however, prohibited any constraint on their mass
function. Here we report the presence of a 1.9 +/- 0.1 x 10^8 M_sun dark
satellite in the Einstein-ring system JVAS B1938+666 at z = 0.881, where M_sun
denotes solar mass. This satellite galaxy has a mass similar to the Sagittarius
galaxy, which is a satellite of the Milky Way. We determine the logarithmic
slope of the mass function for substructure beyond the local Universe to be
alpha = 1.1^+0.6_-0.4, with an average mass-fraction of f = 3.3^+3.6_-1.8 %, by
combining data on both of these recently discovered galaxies. Our results are
consistent with the predictions from cold dark matter simulations at the 95 per
cent confidence level, and therefore agree with the view that galaxies formed
hierarchically in a Universe composed of cold dark matter.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Nature (19 January
2012
A simple analytical model for dark matter halo structure and adiabatic contraction
A simple analytical model for describing inner parts of dark matter halo is
considered. It is assumed that dark matter density is power-law. The model
deals with dark matter distribution function in phase space of adiabatic
invariants (radial action and angular momentum). Two variants are considered
for the angular part of the distribution function: narrow and broad
distribution. The model allows to describe explicitly the process of adiabatic
contraction of halo due to change of gravitational potential caused by
condensation of baryonic matter in the centre. The modification of dark matter
density in the centre is calculated, and is it shown that the standard
algorithm of adiabatic contraction calculation overestimates the compressed
halo density, especially in the case of strong radial anisotropy.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. v3 - major improvements, another halo model
introduced, discussion extende
Clumps and streams in the local dark matter distribution
In cold dark matter cosmological models, structures form and grow by merging
of smaller units. Numerical simulations have shown that such merging is
incomplete; the inner cores of halos survive and orbit as "subhalos" within
their hosts. Here we report a simulation that resolves such substructure even
in the very inner regions of the Galactic halo. We find hundreds of very
concentrated dark matter clumps surviving near the solar circle, as well as
numerous cold streams. The simulation reveals the fractal nature of dark matter
clustering: Isolated halos and subhalos contain the same relative amount of
substructure and both have cuspy inner density profiles. The inner mass and
phase-space densities of subhalos match those of recently discovered faint,
dark matter-dominated dwarf satellite galaxies and the overall amount of
substructure can explain the anomalous flux ratios seen in strong gravitational
lenses. Subhalos boost gamma-ray production from dark matter annihilation, by
factors of 4-15, relative to smooth galactic models. Local cosmic ray
production is also enhanced, typically by a factor 1.4, but by more than a
factor of ten in one percent of locations lying sufficiently close to a large
subhalo. These estimates assume that gravitational effects of baryons on dark
matter substructure are small.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Nature, includes supplementary
information. Full version of Figure 1 available at
http://www.ucolick.org/~diemand/vl2/fig1.pn
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