Testing the Prediction of Fuzzy Dark Matter Theory in the Milky Way Center

Abstract

The fuzzy dark matter model (FDM, also known as quantum wave dark matter model) argues that light bosons with a mass of $\sim 10^{-22}\mathrm{eV}$ are a possible candidate for dark matter in the Universe. One of the most important predictions of FDM is the formation of a soliton core instead of a density cusp at the center of galaxies. If FDM is the correct theory of dark matter, then the predicted soliton core can help to form the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) in the Milky Way. We present high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of gas flow patterns to constrain the properties of the soliton core based on a realistic Milky Way potential. We find that a dense center is required to form a reasonable CMZ. The size and kinematics of the CMZ offer a relatively strong constraint on the inner enclosed mass profile of the Galaxy. If a soliton core is not considered, a compact nuclear bulge alone with a radially varying mass-to-light ratio can match the observed size and kinematics of the CMZ. A soliton core model with a mass of $\approx 4.0\times 10^8{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$ and a core radius of $\approx 0.05\mathrm{kpc}$, together with a less massive nuclear bulge with a constant mass-to-light ratio, also agrees nicely with the current data. Such a FDM soliton core corresponds to a boson mass of $\sim 2-7\times 10^{-22}\mathrm{eV}$, which could be further constrained by the improved determination of the mass-to-light ratio in the Galactic center.

Accepted for publication in ApJ. 14 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (18)

• The propagation of uncertainties in stellar population synthesis modeling I: The relevance of uncertain aspects of stellar evolution and the IMF to the derived physical properties of galaxies
• Ultralight scalars as cosmological dark matter
• Athena: A New Code for Astrophysical MHD
• Cosmic Structure as the Quantum Interference of a Coherent Dark Wave
• Understanding the Core-Halo Relation of Quantum Wave Dark Matter, $\psi$DM, from 3D Simulations
• Dark matter and cosmic structure
• Dynamical modelling of the Galactic bulge and bar: the Milky Way's bar pattern speed, stellar, and dark matter mass distribution
• The dynamical evolution of molecular clouds near the Galactic Centre - I. Orbital structure and evolutionary timeline
• Made-to-Measure models of the Galactic Box/Peanut bulge: stellar and total mass in the bulge region
• Gas flow models in the Milky Way embedded bars
• Gas flow in barred potentials
• Mass inflow rate into the Central Molecular Zone: observational determination and evidence of episodic accretion
• Ultra-light dark matter in disk galaxies
• Nature of the Wiggle Instability of Galactic Spiral Shocks
• Kinematics and properties of the Central Molecular Zone as probed with [C II]
• Halo Abundance and Assembly History with Extreme-Axion Wave Dark Matter at $z\ge 4$
• Periodicity makes galactic shocks unstable - I. Linear analysis
• Rapid formation of black holes in galaxies: a self-limiting growth mechanism

Cited by in corpus (20)

• Wave Dark Matter
• New insights into the formation and growth of boson stars in dark matter halos
• Simulations of the Milky Way's central molecular zone -- I. Gas dynamics
• Fuzzy Dark Matter and Dark Matter Halo Cores
• Gas Dynamics in the Galaxy: Total Mass Distribution and the Bar Pattern Speed
• Black hole merger simulations in wave dark matter environments
• The effect of wave dark matter on equal mass black hole mergers
• Jeans modelling of the Milky Way's nuclear stellar disc
• Growth of accretion driven scalar hair around Kerr black holes
• Multiple Images and Flux Ratio Anomaly of Fuzzy Gravitational Lenses
• Dark matter profiles of SPARC galaxies: a challenge to fuzzy dark matter
• Cosmological Simulations of Two-Component Wave Dark Matter
• Model-independent constraints on ultra-light dark matter from the SPARC data
• Prospects of Probing Dark Matter Condensates with Gravitational Waves
• Constraining Ultra Light Dark Matter with the Galactic Nuclear Star Cluster
• Gravitational atoms beyond the test field limit: The case of Sgr A* and ultralight dark matter
• Fuzzy dark matter simulations
• To observe, or not to observe, quantum-coherent dark matter in the Milky Way, that is a question
• Crossing the dark matter soliton core: a possible reversed orbital precession
• Uncertainty-Aware Neural Networks for Fuzzy Dark Matter Model Selection from \texorpdfstring{$x_{\mathrm{HI}}$}{x_HI} Measurements