414 research outputs found
BOOMERanG Data Suggest a Purely Baryonic Universe
The amplitudes of peaks in the angular power spectrum of anisotropies in the
microwave background radiation depend on the mass content of the universe. The
second peak should be prominent when cold dark matter is dominant, but is
depressed when baryons dominate. Recent microwave background data are
consistent with a purely baryonic universe with Omega(matter) = Omega(baryon) ~
0.03 and Omega(Lambda) ~ 1.Comment: 10 pages AASTeX with 1 color postscript figure. Accepted for
publication in ApJ Letters. And yes, the prediction was in the literature
before the dat
The Structure of Dark Matter Haloes in Dwarf Galaxies
Recent observations indicate that dark matter haloes have flat central
density profiles. Cosmological simulations with non-baryonic dark matter
predict however self similar haloes with central density cusps. This
contradiction has lead to the conclusion that dark matter must be baryonic.
Here it is shown that the dark matter haloes of dwarf spiral galaxies represent
a one parameter family with self similar density profiles. The observed global
halo parameters are coupled with each other through simple scaling relations
which can be explained by the standard cold dark matter model if one assumes
that all the haloes formed from density fluctuations with the same primordial
amplitude. We find that the finite central halo densities correlate with the
other global parameters. This result rules out scenarios where the flat halo
cores formed subsequently through violent dynamical processes in the baryonic
component. These cores instead provide important information on the origin and
nature of dark matter in dwarf galaxies.Comment: uuencoded Z-compressed postscript file, 10 pages, 3 figures included,
to appear in ApJ Letter
A Face-On Tully-Fisher Relation
We construct the first "face-on" Tully-Fisher (TF) relation for 24 galaxies
with inclinations between 16 degrees and 41 degrees. The enabling measurements
are integral-field, echelle spectroscopy from the WIYN 3.5m telescope, which
yield accurate kinematic estimates of disk inclination to 15 degrees. Kinematic
inclinations are of sufficient accuracy that our measured TF scatter of 0.42
mag is comparable to other surveys even without internal-absorption
corrections. Three of four galaxies with significant kinematic and photometric
asymmetries also have the largest deviations from our TF relation, suggesting
that asymmetries make an important contribution to TF scatter. By measuring
inclinations below 40 degrees, we establish a direct path to linking this
scatter to the unprojected structure of disks and making non-degenerate
dynamical mass-decompositions of spiral galaxies.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures (2 color). Accepted for publication in ApJ
Letter
The Caustic Ring Model of the Milky Way Halo
We present a proposal for the full phase space distribution of the Milky Way
halo. The model is axially and reflection symmetric and its time evolution is
self-similar. It describes the halo as a set of discrete dark matter flows with
stated densities and velocity vectors everywhere. We first discuss the general
conditions under which the time evolution of a cold collisionless
self-gravitating fluid is self-similar, and show that symmetry is not necessary
for self-similarity. When spherical symmetry is imposed, the model is the same
as described by Fillmore and Goldreich, and by Bertschinger, twenty-three years
ago. The spherically symmetric model depends on one dimensionless parameter
and two dimensionful parameters. We set = 0.3, a value
consistent with the slope of the power spectrum of density perturbations on
galactic scales. The dimensionful parameters are determined by the Galactic
rotation velocity (220 km/s) at the position of the Sun and by the age of the
Galaxy (13.7 Gyr). The properties of the outer caustics are derived in the
spherically symmetric model. The structure of the inner halo depends on the
angular momentum distribution of the dark matter particles. We assume that
distribution to be axial and reflection symmetric, and dominated by net overall
rotation. The inner caustics are rings whose radii are determined in terms of a
single additional parameter . We summarize the observational
evidence in support of the model. The evidence is consistent with
= 0.18 in Concordance Cosmology, equivalent to = 0.26 in
Einstein - de Sitter cosmology. We give formulas to estimate the flow densities
and velocity vectors anywhere in the Milky Way halo. The properties of the
first forty flows at the location of the Earth are listed.Comment: 35 pages, 6 figure
The Distribution of Dark Matter in a Ringed Galaxy
Outer rings are located at the greatest distance from the galaxy center of
any feature resonant with a bar. Because of their large scale, their morphology
is sensitive to the distribution of the dark matter in the galaxy. We introduce
here how study of these rings can constrain the mass-to-light ratio of the bar,
and so the percentage of dark matter in the center of these galaxies. We
compare periodic orbits integrated in the ringed galaxy NGC 6782 near the outer
Lindblad resonance to the shape of the outer ring. The non-axisymmetric
component of the potential resulting from the bar is derived from a
near-infrared image of the galaxy. The axisymmetric component is derived
assuming a flat rotation curve. We find that the pinched non-self-intersecting
periodic orbits are more elongated for higher bar mass-to-light ratios and
faster bars. The inferred mass-to-light ratio of the bar depends on the assumed
inclination of the galaxy. With an assumed galaxy inclination of i=41 degrees,
for the orbits to be consistent with the observed ring morphology the
mass-to-light ratio of the bar must be high, greater than 70% of a maximal disk
value. For i=45 degrees, the mass-to-light ratio of the bar is of
the maximal disk value. Since the velocity field of these rings can be used to
constrain the galaxy inclination as well as which periodic orbit is represented
in the ring, further study will yield tighter constraints on the mass-to-light
ratio of the bar. If a near maximal disk value for the bar is required, then
either there would be little dark matter within the bar, or the dark matter
contained in the disk of the galaxy would be non-axisymmetric and would rotate
with the bar.Comment: AAS Latex + jpg Figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Resolving the virial discrepancy in clusters of galaxies with modified Newtonian dynamics
A sample of 197 X-ray emitting clusters of galaxies is considered in the
context of Milgrom's modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). It is shown that the
gas mass, extrapolated via an assumed model to a fixed radius of 3 Mpc,
is correlated with the gas temperature as predicted by MOND (). The observed temperatures are generally consistent with the inferred
mass of hot gas; no substantial quantity of additional unseen matter is
required in the context of MOND. However, modified dynamics cannot resolve the
strong lensing discrepancy in those clusters where this phenomenon occurs. The
prediction is that additional baryonic matter may be detected in the central
regions of rich clusters.Comment: Submitted to A&A, 4 pages, 3 figures, A&A macro
A Novel Test of the Modified Newtonian Dynamics with Gas Rich Galaxies
The current cosmological paradigm, LCDM, requires that the mass-energy of the
universe be dominated by invisible components: dark matter and dark energy. An
alternative to these dark components is that the law of gravity be modified on
the relevant scales. A test of these ideas is provided by the Baryonic
Tully-Fisher Relation (BTFR), an empirical relation between the observed mass
of a galaxy and its rotation velocity. Here I report a test using gas rich
galaxies for which both axes of the BTFR can be measured independently of the
theories being tested and without the systematic uncertainty in stellar mass
that affects the same test with star dominated spirals. The data fall precisely
where predicted a priori by the modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND). The scatter
in the BTFR is attributable entirely to observational uncertainty. This is
consistent with the action of a single effective force law but poses a serious
fine-tuning problem for LCDM.Comment: 4 pages. Physical Review Letters, in press. Also available from
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~ssm/papers/PhysRevLett_2011_inpress.pd
Can multistate dark matter annihilation explain the high-energy cosmic ray lepton anomalies?
Multistate dark matter (DM) models with small mass splittings and couplings
to light hidden sector bosons have been proposed as an explanation for the
PAMELA/Fermi/H.E.S.S. high-energy lepton excesses. We investigate this proposal
over a wide range of DM density profiles, in the framework of concrete models
with doublet or triplet dark matter and a hidden SU(2) gauge sector that mixes
with standard model hypercharge. The gauge coupling is bounded from below by
the DM relic density, and the Sommerfeld enhancement factor is explicitly
computable for given values of the DM and gauge boson masses M, mu and the
(largest) dark matter mass splitting delta M_{12}. Sommerfeld enhancement is
stronger at the galactic center than near the Sun because of the radial
dependence of the DM velocity profile, which strengthens the inverse Compton
(IC) gamma ray constraints relative to usual assumptions. We find that the
PAMELA/Fermi/H.E.S.S. lepton excesses are marginally compatible with the model
predictions, and with CMB and Fermi gamma ray constraints, for M ~ 800 GeV, mu
~ 200 MeV, and a dark matter profile with noncuspy Einasto parameters alpha >
0.20, r_s ~ 30 kpc. We also find that the annihilating DM must provide only a
subdominant (< 0.4) component of the total DM mass density, since otherwise the
boost factor due to Sommerfeld enhancement is too large.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures; v2: Corrected branching ratio for ground state
DM annihilations into leptons, leading to boost factors that are larger than
allowed. Added explicit results for doublet DM model. Some conclusions
changed; main conclusion of tension between inverse Compton constraints and
N-body simulations of halo profiles is unchange
Limits on Supersymmetric Dark Matter From EGRET Observations of the Galactic Center Region
In most supersymmetic models, neutralino dark matter particles are predicted
to accumulate in the Galactic center and annihilate generating, among other
products, gamma rays. The EGRET experiment has made observations in this
region, and is sensitive to gamma rays from 30 MeV to 30 GeV. We have
used an improved point source analysis including an energy dependent point
spread function and an unbinned maximum likelihood technique, which has allowed
us to significantly lower the limits on gamma ray flux from the Galactic
center. We find that the present EGRET data can limit many supersymmetric
models if the density of the Galactic dark matter halo is cuspy or spiked
toward the Galactic center. We also discuss the ability of GLAST to test these
models.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
A High-Resolution Study of the HI Content of Local Group Dwarf Irregular Galaxy WLM
Dwarf irregular galaxies are unique laboratories for studying the interaction
between stars and the interstellar medium in low mass environments. We present
the highest spatial resolution observations to date of the neutral hydrogen
content of the Local Group dwarf irregular galaxy WLM. We find that WLM's
neutral hydrogen distribution is typical for a galaxy of its type and size and
derive an HI mass of 6.3e7 Msun for WLM. In addition, we derive an HI extent
for WLM of 30 arcmin, which is much less than the 45 arcmin extent found by
Huchtmeier, Seiradakis, and Materne (1981). We show that the broken ring of
high column density neutral hydrogen surrounding the center of WLM is likely
the result of star formation propagating out from the center of the galaxy. The
young stars and Ha emission in this galaxy are mostly correlated with the high
column density neutral hydrogen. The gap in the central ring is the result of
star formation in that region using up, blowing out, or ionizing all of the
neutral hydrogen. Like many late-type galaxies, WLM's velocity field is
asymmetric with the approaching (northern) side appearing to be warped and a
steeper velocity gradient for the approaching side than for the receding side
in the inner region of the galaxy. We derive a dynamical mass for WLM of 2.16e9
Msun.Comment: 38 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, accepted by AJ, high resolution
version at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~kepley/kepley_wlm.p
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