A dark matter profile to model diverse feedback-induced core sizes of $\Lambda$CDM haloes

Abstract

We analyze the cold dark matter density profiles of 54 galaxy halos simulated with FIRE-2 galaxy formation physics, each resolved within $0.5\%$ of the halo virial radius. These halos contain galaxies with masses that range from ultra-faint dwarfs ($M_{\star }\simeq 10^{4.5}{M}_{\odot }$) to the largest spirals ($M_{\star }\simeq 10^{11}{M}_{\odot }$) and have density profiles that are both cored and cuspy. We characterize our results using a new analytic density profile that extends the standard Einasto form to allow for a pronounced constant-density core in the resolved innermost radius. With one additional core-radius parameter, $r_c$, this "core-Einasto" profile is able to characterize the shape and normalization of our feedback-impacted dark matter halos. In order to enable comparisons with observations, we provide fitting functions for $r_c$ and other profile parameters as a function of both $M_{\star }$ and $M_{\star }/M_{\mathrm{halo}}$. In agreement with similar studies done in the literature, we find that dark matter core formation is most efficient at the characteristic stellar-mass to halo-mass ratio $M_{\star }/M_{\mathrm{halo}}\simeq 5\times 10^{-3}$, or $M_{\star }\sim 10^9{M}_{\odot }$, with cores that are roughly the size of the galaxy half-light radius, $r_c\simeq 1-5$ kpc. Furthermore, we find no evidence for core formation at radii $\gtrsim 100\mathrm{pc}$ in galaxies with $M_{\star }/M_{\mathrm{halo}}<5\times 10^{-4}$ or $M_{\star }\lesssim 10^6{M}_{\odot }$. For Milky Way-size galaxies, baryonic contraction often makes halos significantly more concentrated and dense at the stellar half-light radius than dark matter only runs. However, even at the Milky Way scale, FIRE-2 galaxy formation still produces small dark matter cores of $\simeq 0.5-2$ kpc in size. Recent evidence for a $\sim 2$ kpc core in the Milky Way's dark matter halo is consistent with this expectation.

arXiv comment27 pages; 19 figures; Accepted by MNRAS

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