Constraining the Strength of Dark Matter Interactions from Structure Formation

Abstract

We discuss the damping of primordial dark matter fluctuations, taking into account explicitly the interactions of dark matter — whatever their intensity — both with itself and with other particle species. Relying on a general classification of dark matter particle candidates, our analysis provides, from structure formation, a new set of constraints on the dark matter particle mass and interaction rates (in particular with photons and neutrinos).This determines up to which cross sections the dark matter interactions may effectively be disregarded, and when they start playing an essential rôle, either through collisional damping or through an enhancement of the free-streaming scale. It leads us to extend the notions of Cold, Warm and Hot Dark Matter scenarios when dark matter interactions are no longer taken to be negligible. It also suggests the possibility of new scenarios of Collisional Warm Dark Matter, with moderate damping induced by dark matter interactions.