Dark Matter Disk Research Articles

Generalized Rotation Curves of the Milky Way from the GAIA DR3 Data Set: Constraints on Mass Models

The circular velocity curve traced by stars provides a direct means of investigating the potential and mass distribution of the Milky Way. Recent measurements of the Galaxy’s rotation curve have revealed a significant decrease in velocity for Galactic radii larger than approximately 15 kpc. While these determinations have primarily focused on the Galactic plane, the Gaia DR3 data also offer information about off-plane velocity components. By assuming the Milky Way is in a state of Jeans equilibrium, we derived the generalized rotation curve for radial distances spanning from 8.5 kpc to 25 kpc and vertical heights ranging from −2 kpc to 2 kpc. These measurements were employed to constrain the matter distribution using two distinct mass models. The first is the canonical Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW) halo model, while the second, the dark matter disk (DMD) model, posits that dark matter is confined to the Galactic plane and follows the distribution of neutral hydrogen. The best-fitting NFW model yields a virial mass of M vir = (6.5 ± 0.5) × 1011 M ⊙, whereas the DMD model indicates a total mass of M DMD = (1.7 ± 0.2) × 1011 M ⊙. Our findings indicate that the DMD model generally shows a better fit to both the on-plane and off-plane behaviors at large radial distances of the generalized rotation curves than the NFW model. We emphasize that studying the generalized rotation curves at different vertical heights has the potential to provide better constraints on the geometrical properties of the dark matter distribution.

Mass Models of the Milky Way and Estimation of Its Mass from the Gaia DR3 Data Set

We use data from the Gaia DR3 data set to estimate the mass of the Milky Way (MW) by analyzing the rotation curve in the range of distances 5 to 28 kpc. We consider three mass models: The first model adds a spherical dark matter (DM) halo, following the Navarro–Frenk–White (NFW) profile, to the known stellar components. The second model assumes that DM is confined to the Galactic disk, following the idea that the observed density of gas in the Galaxy is related to the presence of a more massive DM disk (DMD), similar to the observed correlation between DM and gas in other galaxies. The third model only uses the known stellar-mass components and is based on the Modified Newton Dynamics (MOND) theory. Our results indicate that the DMD model is comparable in accuracy to the NFW and MOND models and fits the data better at large radii where the rotation curve declines but has the largest errors. For the NFW model, we obtain a virial mass M vir = (6.5 ± 0.3) × 1011 M ⊙ with concentration parameter c = 14.5, which is lower than what is typically reported. In the DMD case, we find that the MW mass is M d = (1.6 ± 0.5) × 1011 M ⊙ with a disk’s characteristic radius of R d = 17 kpc.

Genesis of morpho-kinematic lopsidedness in minor merger of galaxies

ABSTRACT An m = 1 lopsided asymmetry is common in disc galaxies. Here, we investigate the excitation of an m = 1 lopsidedness in host galaxies during minor mergers while choosing a set of 1:10 merger models (with varying orbital configurations, morphology of the host galaxy) from the GalMer galaxy merger library. We show that a minor merger triggers a prominent m = 1 lopsidedness in stars of the host galaxy. The strength of the m = 1 lopsidedness undergoes a transient amplification phase after each pericenter passage of the satellite, in concordance with past findings of exciting an m = 1 lopsidedness by tidal encounters. However, once the merger happens, and the post-merger remnant readjusts itself, the lopsidedness disappears in short time-scale (∼ 500 − 850 ${{\rm Myr}}$). Furthermore, a delayed merger can drive a prolonged (∼2 ${\rm Gyr}$) lopsidedness in the host galaxy. We demonstrate that the m = 1 lopsidedness rotates with a well-defined pattern speed which is much slower than the m = 2 bar pattern speed, and is retrograde with respect to the bar. This gives rise to a dynamical scenario where the Inner Lindblad resonance of the m = 1 lopsidedness falls in between the corotation and the Outer Lindblad resonance of the m = 2 bar mode. A kinematic lopsidedness also arises in the host galaxy; the resulting temporal variation closely follows that of the density lopsidedness. The minor merger also triggers a transient off-centred stellar disc-dark matter halo configuration due to the tidal encounter with the satellite.

Evidence for a vast prograde stellar stream in the solar vicinity

Massive dwarf galaxies that merge with the Milky Way on prograde orbits can be dragged into the disk plane before being completely disrupted. Such mergers can contribute to an accreted stellar disk and a dark matter disk. Here we present Nyx, a vast stellar stream in the vicinity of the Sun, which provides the first indication that such an event occurred in the Milky Way. We identify about 90 stars that have coherent radial and prograde motion in this stream using a catalogue of accreted stars built by applying deep learning methods to the Gaia data. Taken together with chemical abundance and orbital information, these results strongly favour the interpretation that Nyx is the remnant of a disrupted dwarf galaxy. Further justified by FIRE hydrodynamic simulations, we demonstrate that prograde streams like Nyx can be found in the disk plane of galaxies and identified using our methods.

Using torque to understand barred galaxy models

ABSTRACTWe track the angular momentum transfer in N-body simulations of barred galaxies by measuring torques to understand the dynamical mechanisms responsible for the evolution of the bar–disc–dark matter halo system. We find evidence for three distinct phases of barred galaxy evolution: assembly, secular growth, and steady-state equilibrium. Using a decomposition of the disc into orbital families, we track bar mass and angular momentum through time and correlate the quantities with the phases of evolution. We follow the angular momentum transfer between particles and identify the dominant torque channels. We find that the halo model mediates the assembly and growth of the bar for a high central density halo, and the outer disc mediates the assembly and growth of the bar in a low central density halo model. Both galaxies exhibit a steady-state equilibrium phase where the bar is neither lengthening nor slowing. The steady-state equilibrium results from the balance of torque between particles that are gaining and losing angular momentum. We propose observational metrics for barred galaxies that can be used to help determine the evolutionary phase of a barred galaxy, and discuss the implications of the phases for galaxy evolution as a whole.

Constraining a Thin Dark Matter Disk with Gaia.

If a component of the dark matter has dissipative interactions, it could collapse to form a thin dark disk in our Galaxy that is coplanar with the baryonic disk. It has been suggested that dark disks could explain a variety of observed phenomena, including periodic comet impacts. Using the first data release from the Gaia space observatory, we search for a dark disk via its effect on stellar kinematics in the MilkyWay. Our new limits disfavor the presence of a thin dark matter disk, and we present updated measurements on the total matter density in the Solar neighborhood.

Self-interacting dark matter constraints in a thick dark disk scenario

A thick dark matter disk is predicted in cold dark matter simulations as the outcome of the interaction between accreted satellites and the stellar disk in Milky Way sized halos. We study the effects of a self-interacting thick dark disk on the energetic neutrino flux from the Sun. We find that for particle masses between 100 GeV and 1 TeV and dark matter annihilation to heavy leptons either the self-interaction may not be strong enough to solve the small scale structure motivation or a dark disk cannot be present in the Milky Way.

Binary pulsars as probes of a Galactic dark matter disk

Abstract As a binary pulsar moves through a wind of dark matter particles, the resulting dynamical friction modifies the binary’s orbit. We study this effect for the double disk dark matter (DDDM) scenario, where a fraction of the dark matter is dissipative and settles into a thin disk. For binaries within the dark disk, this effect is enhanced due to the higher dark matter density and lower velocity dispersion of the dark disk, and due to its co-rotation with the baryonic disk. We estimate the effect and compare it with observations for two different limits in the Knudsen number ( K n ). First, in the case where DDDM is effectively collisionless within the characteristic scale of the binary ( K n ≫ 1 ) and ignoring the possible interaction between the pair of dark matter wakes. Second, in the fully collisional case ( K n ≪ 1 ), where a fluid description can be adopted and the interaction of the pair of wakes is taken into account. We find that the change in the orbital period is of the same order of magnitude in both limits. A comparison with observations reveals good prospects to probe currently allowed DDDM models with timing data from binary pulsars in the near future. We finally comment on the possibility of extending the analysis to the intermediate (rarefied gas) case with K n ∼ 1 .

Fermi-LAT kills dark matter interpretations of AMS-02 data. Or not?

A number of papers attempt to explain the positron anomaly in cosmic rays, observed by PAMELA and AMS-02, in terms of dark matter (DM) decays or annihilations. However, the recent progress in cosmic gamma-ray studies challenges these attempts. Indeed, as we show, any rational DM model explaining the positron anomaly abundantly produces final state radiation and Inverse Compton gamma rays, which inevitably leads to a contradiction with Fermi-LAT isotropic diffuse gamma-ray background measurements. Furthermore, the Fermi-LAT observation of Milky Way dwarf satellites, supposed to be rich in DM, revealed no significant signal in gamma rays. We propose a generic approach in which the major contribution to cosmic rays comes from the dark matter disc and prove that the tension between the DM origin of the positron anomaly and the cosmic gamma-ray observations can be relieved. We consider both a simple model, in which DM decay/annihilate into charged leptons, and a model-independent minimal case of particle production, and we estimate the optimal thickness of DM disk. Possible mechanisms of formation and its properties are briefly discussed.

INTERSTELLAR GAS AND A DARK DISK

ABSTRACT We introduce a potentially powerful method for constraining or discovering a thin dark matter disk in the Milky Way. The method relies on the relationship between the midplane densities and scale heights of interstellar gas being determined by the gravitational potential, which is sensitive to the presence of a dark disk. We show how to use the interstellar gas parameters to set a bound on a dark disk and discuss the constraints suggested by the current data. However, current measurements for these parameters are discordant, with the uncertainty in the constraint being dominated by the molecular hydrogen midplane density measurement, as well as by the atomic hydrogen velocity dispersion measurement. Magnetic fields and cosmic ray pressure, which are expected to play a role, are uncertain as well. The current models and data are inadequate to determine the disk's existence, but taken at face value, may favor its existence depending on the gas parameters used.

Measure the local dark matter density with LAMOST spectroscopic survey

AbstractThe local dark matter density plays the key role in the distribution of the dark matter halo near the Galactic disk. It will also answer whether a dark matter disk exists in the Milky Way. We measure the local dark matter density with LAMOST observed stars located at around the north Galactic pole. The selection effects of the observations are well considered and corrected. We find that the derived DM density, which is around 0.0159+0.0047−0.0057M⊙ pc−3 providing a flat local rotation curve.

The Gaia-ESO Survey: a quiescent Milky Way with no significant dark/stellar accreted disc★

According to our current cosmological model, galaxies like the Milky Way are expected to experience many mergers over their lifetimes. The most massive of the merging galaxies will be dragged towards the disc-plane, depositing stars and dark matter into an accreted disc structure. In this work, we utilize the chemo-dynamical template developed in Ruchti et al. to hunt for accreted stars. We apply the template to a sample of 4,675 stars in the third internal data release from the Gaia-ESO Spectroscopic Survey. We find a significant component of accreted halo stars, but find no evidence of an accreted disc component. This suggests that the Milky Way has had a rather quiescent merger history since its disc formed some 8-10 billion years ago and therefore possesses no significant dark matter disc.

Disc dark matter in the Galaxy and potential cycles of extraterrestrial impacts, mass extinctions and geological events

A cycle in the range of 26–30Myr has been reported in mass extinctions, and terrestrial impact cratering may exhibit a similar cycle of 31 ± 5Myr. These cycles have been attributed to the Sun’s vertical oscillations through the Galactic disc, estimated to take from ∼30 to 42Myr between Galactic plane crossings. Near the Galactic mid-plane, the Solar system’s Oort Cloud comets could be perturbed by Galactic tidal forces, and possibly a thin dark matter (DM) disc, whichmightproduceperiodiccometshowersandextinctionsontheEarth.PassageoftheEarth through especially dense clumps of DM, composed of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in the Galactic plane, could also lead to heating in the core of the planet through capture and subsequent annihilation of DM particles. This new source of periodic heating in the Earth’s interior might explain a similar ∼30Myr periodicity observed in terrestrial geologic activity, which may also be involved in extinctions. These results suggest that cycles of geological and biological evolution on the Earth may be partly controlled by the rhythms of Galactic dynamics.

Is the solar system's galactic motion imprinted in the Phanerozoic climate?

A new δ18O Phanerozoic database, based on 24,000 low-Mg calcitic fossil shells, yields a prominent 32 Ma oscillation with a secondary 175 Ma frequency modulation. The periodicities and phases of these oscillations are consistent with parameters postulated for the vertical motion of the solar system across the galactic plane, modulated by the radial epicyclic motion. We propose therefore that the galactic motion left an imprint on the terrestrial climate record. Based on its vertical motion, the effective average galactic density encountered by the solar system is . This suggests the presence of a disk dark matter component.

Dark Matter May Play Role in Extinctions

An increased likelihood of life-threatening comet impacts could occur when the Sun passes through a possible dark matter disk in the Galaxy.

Dark matter as a trigger for periodic comet impacts.

Although statistical evidence is not overwhelming, possible support for an approximately 35×106 yr periodicity in the crater record on Earth could indicate a nonrandom underlying enhancement of meteorite impacts at regular intervals. A proposed explanation in terms of tidal effects on Oort cloud comet perturbations as the Solar System passes through the galactic midplane is hampered by lack of an underlying cause for sufficiently enhanced gravitational effects over a sufficiently short time interval and by the time frame between such possible enhancements. We show that a smooth dark disk in the galactic midplane would address both these issues and create a periodic enhancement of the sort that has potentially been observed. Such a disk is motivated by a novel dark matter component with dissipative cooling that we considered in earlier work. We show how to evaluate the statistical evidence for periodicity by input of appropriate measured priors from the galactic model, justifying or ruling out periodic cratering with more confidence than by evaluating the data without an underlying model. We find that, marginalizing over astrophysical uncertainties, the likelihood ratio for such a model relative to one with a constant cratering rate is 3.0, which moderately favors the dark disk model. Our analysis furthermore yields a posterior distribution that, based on current crater data, singles out a dark matter disk surface density of approximately 10M⊙/pc2. The geological record thereby motivates a particular model of dark matter that will be probed in the near future.

A correlation between dark matter and neutral hydrogen in spiral galaxies

We test the hypothesis put forward by Bosma (1981) that the surface density of dark matter is proportional to the surface density of HI, using decompositions of the rotation curves of a number of galaxies according to the THINGS, along with data for the galaxy NGC 6822. The rotation curves of these galaxies can be explained by assuming the existence of a massive gaseous disk in the absence of a dark halo, although the proportionality factor Σdark/ΣHI between the surface densities of dark matter and HI is different for different galaxies. However, there emerges the problem of the gravitational stability of galaxies whose stellar-velocity dispersions have been estimated, if the thickness of the dark-matter disk is similar to or less than the thickness of the stellar disk. The proportionality between Σdark and ΣHI is probably due to the fact that the radial profiles of ΣHI for galaxies with flat rotational curves are close to the critical density of a gravitationally stable gaseous layer (ΣHI ∼ R−1), and Σdark(R) for a pseudo-isothermal halo obeys the same law.

A dark matter disc in three cosmological simulations of Milky Way mass galaxies

Making robust predictions for the phase space distribution of dark matter at the solar neighbourhood is vital for dark matter direct detection experiments. To date, almost all such predictions have been based on simulations that model the dark matter alone. Here, we use three cosmological hydrodynamics simulations of bright, disc dominated galaxies to include the effects of baryonic matter self-consistently for the first time. We find that the addition of baryonic physics drastically alters the dark matter profile in the vicinity of the Solar neighbourhood. A stellar/gas disc, already in place at high redshift, causes merging satellites to be dragged preferentially towards the disc plane where they are torn apart by tides. This results in an accreted dark matter disc that contributes ~0.25 - 1.5 times the non-rotating halo density at the solar position. The dark disc, unlike dark matter streams, is an equilibrium structure that must exist in disc galaxies that form in a hierarchical cosmology. Its low rotation lag with respect to the Earth significantly boosts WIMP capture in the Earth and Sun, boosts the annual modulation signal, and leads to distinct variations in the flux as a function of recoil energy that allow the WIMP mass to be determined.

DETECTING THE MILKY WAY'S DARK DISK

In LambdaCDM, massive satellites are dragged into the disk-plane by dynamical friction where they dissolve into a stellar thick disk and a more massive dark matter disk. The distinctive kinematics of the dark disk matches the stars that also entered in the satellites. The lower velocities of the dark disk with respect to the Earth enhances detection rates at low recoil energy. For WIMP masses > 50 GeV/c^2, the detection rate increases by up to a factor of 3 in the 5 - 20 keV recoil energy range. Comparing this with rates at higher energy will improve constraints on the WIMP mass, particularly for masses > 100 GeV/c^2. The annual modulation signal of the dark disk is significantly boosted and its modulation phase is shifted by ~3 weeks relative to the dark halo. The variation of the observed phase with recoil energy can also be used to determine the WIMP mass once the dark disk properties are fixed by future astronomical surveys. The constraints on the WIMP interaction cross section from current experiments improve by factors of 1.4 to 3.5 when a typical contribution from the dark disk is included.

Dark matter disc enhanced neutrino fluxes from the Sun and Earth

As disc galaxies form in a hierarchical cosmology, massive merging satellites are preferentially dragged towards the disc plane. The material accreted from these satellites forms a dark matter disc that contributes 0.25–1.5 times the non-rotating halo density at the solar position. Here, we show the importance of the dark disc for indirect dark matter detection in neutrino telescopes. Previous predictions of the neutrino flux from WIMP annihilation in the Earth and the Sun have assumed that Galactic dark matter is spherically distributed with a Gaussian velocity distribution, the standard halo model. Although the dark disc has a local density comparable to the dark halo, its higher phase space density at low velocities greatly enhances capture rates in the Sun and Earth. For typical dark disc properties, the resulting muon flux from the Earth is increased by three orders of magnitude over the SHM, while for the Sun the increase is an order of magnitude. This significantly increases the sensitivity of neutrino telescopes to fix or constrain parameters in WIMP models. The flux from the Earth is extremely sensitive to the detailed properties of the dark disc, while the flux from the Sun is more robust. The enhancement of the muon flux from the dark disc puts the search for WIMP annihilation in the Earth on the same level as the Sun for WIMP masses ≲100 GeV.