Shapes of Milky-Way-Mass Galaxies with Self-Interacting Dark Matter

Abstract

Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models offer one way to reconcile inconsistencies between observations and predictions from collisionless cold dark matter (CDM) models on dwarf-galaxy scales. In order to incorporate the effects of both baryonic and SIDM interactions, we study a suite of cosmological-baryonic simulations of Milky-Way (MW)-mass galaxies from the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE-2) project where we vary the SIDM self-interaction cross-section $\sigma /m$. We compare the shape of the main dark matter (DM) halo at redshift $z=0$ predicted by SIDM simulations (at $\sigma /m=0.1$, $1$, and $10$ cm${}^2$ g${}^{-1}$) with CDM simulations using the same initial conditions. In the presence of baryonic feedback effects, we find that SIDM models do not produce the large differences in the inner structure of MW-mass galaxies predicted by SIDM-only models. However, we do find that the radius where the shape of the total mass distribution begins to differ from that of the stellar mass distribution is dependent on $\sigma /m$. This transition could potentially be used to set limits on the SIDM cross-section in the MW.

17 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

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Cited by in corpus (16)

• Overview of the DESI Milky Way Survey
• Motivations for a Large Self-Interacting Dark Matter Cross Section from Milky Way Satellites
• The impact of baryonic potentials on the gravothermal evolution of self-interacting dark matter haloes
• Cosmological and idealized simulations of dark matter haloes with velocity-dependent, rare and frequent self-interactions
• Unraveling the interplay between SIDM and baryons in MW halos: defining where baryons dictate heat transfer
• EDGE: The shape of dark matter haloes in the faintest galaxies
• SIDM Concerto: Compilation and Data Release of Self-interacting Dark Matter Zoom-in Simulations
• First measurement of the triaxiality of the inner dark matter halo of the Milky Way
• Trial by FIRE: Probing the dark matter density profile of dwarf galaxies with GraphNPE
• Prospects for probing small-scale dark matter models with pulsars around Sagittarius A*
• Sensitivity of Halo Shape Measurements
• The imprint of dark matter on the Galactic acceleration field
• Central densities of dark matter halos in FIRE-2 simulations of low-mass galaxies with cold dark matter and self-interacting dark matter
• Composite self-interacting dark matter and Higgs
• Diversifying halo structures in two-component self-interacting dark matter models via mass segregation
• Structure Formation under Inelastic Two-Component Dark Matter: Halo Statistics and Matter Power Spectra in the High-$z$ Universe