Dark Matter Distribution Research Articles

A Beginner’s Guide to Line Intensity Mapping Power Spectra

Line intensity mapping (LIM) is an emerging technique in measuring galaxy evolution and the large-scale structure of the universe. LIM surveys measure the cumulative emission from all galaxies emitting a given line at a particular redshift, which trace the distribution of dark matter throughout the universe. In this proceeding, we provide an introduction to LIM modeling, focusing on power spectrum calculation. Beyond these calculations, we describe how these power spectra may be used to constrain properties of galaxy evolution and large-scale structure cosmology. Throughout, we use the anticipated EXCLAIM signal of ionized carbon ([CII]) at redshift z=3 as a case study. Our goal is to provide a starting point to non-experts, e.g. upper-level undergraduate and graduate students familiar with the basics of cosmology, with the tools necessary to understand the literature and generate LIM power spectrum models themselves, while also describing a wide array of literature for continued studies.

Distinctive Features of Charge Exchange Involving the Second Flavor of Hydrogen Atoms—The Candidates for Dark Matter

The second flavor of hydrogen atoms (SFHA) refers to the kind of hydrogen atoms that have only the states of the zero orbital angular momentum (the S-states), both in the discrete and continuous spectra. They were first discovered theoretically in one of my earlier papers, where a proof of their existence was also provided by analyzing atomic experiments concerning the high-energy tail of the linear momentum distribution in the ground state of hydrogen atoms. From a theoretical point of view, the discovery was based on the standard Dirac equation for hydrogen atoms without changing the existing physical laws. Recently, the existence of the SFHA was seemingly also confirmed by two types of astrophysical observations: the allowance for the SFHA explained the puzzling results concerning both the anomalous absorption of the redshifted 21 cm spectral line from the early Universe, and the observations by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) team where it was found that the distribution of dark matter in the Universe is noticeably smoother than predictions employing Einstein’s relativity. In the present review, we exhibit results from two recent papers where attention was brought to a visible difference in the cross-sections of the resonant charge exchange for collisions of the SFHA with incoming protons, compared to collisions of the usual hydrogen atoms with incoming protons. It was shown that, after taking into account the SFHA, there is a better agreement with the corresponding experimental cross-section. Coupled with the previous evidence of the existence of the SFHA, deduced from the analysis of the other kind of atomic experiments, and evidenced by two different kinds of astrophysical observations, this strengthens the standing of the SFHA as the most probable candidate for all or a part of dark matter.

Supermassive Black Holes, Ultralight Dark Matter, and Gravitational Waves from a First Order Phase Transition.

The formation of ultrarare supermassive black holes (SMBHs), with masses of O(10^{9} M_{⊙}), in the first billion years of the Universe remains an open question in astrophysics. At the same time, ultralight dark matter (DM) with mass in the vicinity of O(10^{-20} eV) has been motivated by small scale DM distributions. Though this type of DM is constrained by various astrophysical considerations, certain observations could be pointing to modest evidence for it. We present a model with a confining first order phase transition at ∼10 keV temperatures, facilitating production of O(10^{9} M_{⊙}) primordial SMBHs. Such a phase transition can also naturally lead to the implied mass for a motivated ultralight axion DM candidate, suggesting that SMBHs and ultralight DM may be two sides of the same cosmic coin. We consider constraints and avenues to discovery from superradiance and a modification to N_{eff}. On general grounds, we also expect primordial gravitational waves-from the assumed first order phase transition-characterized by frequencies of O(10^{-12}-10^{-9} Hz). This frequency regime is largely uncharted, but could be accessible to pulsar timing arrays if the primordial gravitational waves are at the higher end of this frequency range, as could be the case in our assumed confining phase transition.

Using artificial intelligence and real galaxy images to constrain parameters in galaxy formation simulations

ABSTRACT Cosmological galaxy formation simulations are still limited by their spatial/mass resolution and cannot model from first principles some of the processes, like star formation, that are key in driving galaxy evolution. As a consequence they still rely on a set of ’effective parameters’ that try to capture the scales and the physical processes that cannot be directly resolved in the simulation. In this study, we show that it is possible to use Machine Learning techniques applied to real and simulated images of galaxies to discriminate between different values of these parameters by making use of the full information content of an astronomical image instead of collapsing it into a limited set of values like size, or stellar/ gas masses. In this work, we apply our method to the NIHAO simulations and the THINGS and VLA-ANGST observations of H i maps in nearby galaxies to test the ability of different values of the star formation density threshold n to reproduce observed H i maps. We show that observations indicate the need for a high value of n ≳ 80 cm−3 (although the numerical value is model-dependent), which has important consequences for the dark matter distribution in galaxies. Our study shows that with innovative methods it is possible to take full advantage of the information content of galaxy images and compare simulations and observations in an interpretable, non-parametric, and quantitative manner.

Non-parametric spherical Jeans mass estimation with B-splines

ABSTRACTSpherical Jeans modelling is widely used to estimate mass profiles of systems from star clusters to galactic stellar haloes to clusters of galaxies. It derives the cumulative mass profile, M(<r), from kinematics of tracers of the potential under the assumptions of spherical symmetry and dynamical equilibrium. We consider the application of Jeans modelling to mapping the dark matter distribution in the outer reaches of the Milky Way using field halo stars. We present a novel non-parametric routine for solving the spherical Jeans equation by fitting B-splines to the velocity and density profiles of halo stars. While most implementations assume parametric forms for these profiles, B-splines provide non-parametric fitting curves with analytical derivatives. Our routine recovers the mass profiles of equilibrium systems with flattened haloes or a stellar disc and bulge excellently (${\lesssim} 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ error at most radii). Tests with non-equilibrium, Milky Way-like galaxies from the Latte suite of the Feedback In Realistic Environments model 2 (FIRE-2) simulations perform quite well (${\lesssim} 15{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ error for r$\lesssim$ 100 kpc). We also create observationally motivated data sets for the Latte suite by imposing selection functions and errors on phase-space coordinates characteristic of Gaia and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Milky Way Survey. The resulting imprecise and incomplete data require us to introduce a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)-based subroutine to obtain deconvolved density and velocity dispersion profiles from the tracer population. With these observational effects taken into account, the accuracy of the Jeans mass estimate remains at the level 20 per cent or better.

Measuring the dark matter environments of black hole binaries with gravitational waves

Large dark matter overdensities can form around black holes of astrophysical and primordial origin as they form and grow. This "dark dress" inevitably affects the dynamical evolution of binary systems, and induces a dephasing in the gravitational waveform that can be probed with future interferometers. In this paper, we introduce a new analytical model to rapidly compute gravitational waveforms in presence of an evolving dark matter distribution. We then present a Bayesian analysis determining when dressed black hole binaries can be distinguished from GR-in-vacuum ones and how well their parameters can be measured, along with how close they must be to be detectable by the planned Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). We show that LISA can definitively distinguish dark dresses from standard binaries and characterize the dark matter environments around astrophysical and primordial black holes for a wide range of model parameters. Our approach can be generalized to assess the prospects for detecting, classifying, and characterizing other environmental effects in gravitational wave physics.

Strong-lensing source reconstruction with variationally optimized Gaussian processes

ABSTRACT Strong-lensing images provide a wealth of information both about the magnified source and about the dark matter distribution in the lens. Precision analyses of these images can be used to constrain the nature of dark matter. However, this requires high-fidelity image reconstructions and careful treatment of the uncertainties of both lens mass distribution and source light, which are typically difficult to quantify. In anticipation of future high-resolution data sets, in this work we leverage a range of recent developments in machine learning to develop a new Bayesian strong-lensing image analysis pipeline. Its highlights are (a) a fast, GPU-enabled, end-to-end differentiable strong-lensing image simulator; (b) a new, statistically principled source model based on a computationally highly efficient approximation to Gaussian processes that also takes into account pixellation; and (c) a scalable variational inference framework that enables simultaneously deriving posteriors for tens of thousands of lens and source parameters and optimizing hyperparameters via stochastic gradient descent. Besides efficient and accurate parameter estimation and lens model uncertainty quantification, the main aim of the pipeline is the generation of training data for targeted simulation-based inference of dark matter substructure, which we will exploit in a companion paper.

Precision tests of CO and [CII] power spectra models against simulated intensity maps

Line intensity mapping (LIM) is an emerging technique with a unique potential to probe a wide range of scales and redshifts. Realizing the full potential of LIM, however, relies on accurate modeling of the signal. We introduce an extended halo model for the power spectrum of intensity fluctuations of CO rotational lines and [CII] fine transition line in real space, modeling nonlinearities in matter fluctuations and biasing relation between the line intensity fluctuations and the underlying dark matter distribution. We also compute the stochastic contributions beyond the Poisson approximation using the halo model framework. To establish the accuracy of the model, we create the first cosmological-scale simulations of CO and [CII] intensity maps, MithraLIMSims, at redshifts 0.5 ≤ z≤6, using halo catalogs from Hidden-Valley simulations, and painting halos according to mass-redshift-luminosity relations for each line. We show that at z=1 on scales kmax≲ 0.8 Mpc-11h, the model predictions of clustering power (with only two free parameters) are in agreement with the measured power spectrum at better than 5%. At higher redshift of z=4.5, this remarkable agreement extends to smaller scale of kmax≲ 2 Mpc-11h. Furthermore, we show that on large scales, the stochastic contributions to CO and CII power spectra are non-Poissonian, with amplitudes reproduced reasonably well by the halo model prescription. Lastly, we assess the performance of the theoretical model of the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) and show that hypothetical LIM surveys probing CO lines at z=1, that can be deployed within this decade, will be able to make a high significance measurement of the BAO. On a longer time scale, a space-based mission probing [CII] line can uniquely measure the BAO on a wide range of redshifts at an unprecedented precision.

Dark and luminous mass components of Omega Centauri from stellar kinematics

ABSTRACT We combine proper motion data from Gaia EDR3 and HST with line-of-sight velocity data to study the stellar kinematics of the ω Cen globular cluster. Using a steady-state, axisymmetric dynamical model, we measure the distribution of both the dark and luminous mass components. Assuming both Gaussian and Navarro–Frenk–White mass profiles, depending on the data set, we measure an integrated mass of ≲106 M⊙ within the ω Cen half-light radius for a dark component that is distinct from the luminous stellar component. For the HST and radial velocity data, models with a non-luminous mass component are strongly statistically preferred relative to a stellar mass-only model with a constant mass-to-light ratio. While a compact core of stellar remnants may account for a dynamical mass up to ∼5 × 105 M⊙, they likely cannot explain the higher end of the range. This leaves open the possibility that this non-luminous dynamical mass component comprises non-baryonic dark matter. In comparison to the dark matter distributions around dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the ω Cen dark mass component is much more centrally concentrated. Interpreting the non-luminous mass distribution as particle dark matter, we use these results to obtain the J-factor, which sets the sensitivity to the annihilation cross-section. For the data sets considered, the range of median J-factors is ∼1022−1024 GeV2 cm−5, which is larger than that obtained for any dwarf spheroidal galaxy.

Simulating Globular Clusters in Dark Matter Subhalos

Abstract A cosmological zoom-in simulation that develops into a Milky Way-like halo begins at redshift 7. The initial dark matter distribution is seeded with dense star clusters of median mass 5 × 105 M ⊙, placed in the largest subhalos present, which have a median peak circular velocity of 25 km s−1. Three simulations are initialized using the same dark matter distribution with the star clusters starting on approximately circular orbits having initial median radii 6.8, 0.14 kpc, and, at the exact center of the subhalos. The simulations are evolved to the current epoch at which time the median galactic orbital radii of the three sets of clusters are 30, 5, and 16 kpc, with the clusters losing about 2%, 50%, and 15% of their mass, respectively. Clusters beginning at small orbital radii have so much tidal forcing that they are often not in equilibrium. Clusters that start at larger subhalo radii have a velocity dispersion that declines smoothly to ≃20% of the central value at ≃20 half-mass radii. The clusters that begin in the subhalo centers can show a rise in velocity dispersion beyond 3–5 half-mass radii. That is, the clusters that form without local dark matter always have stellar-mass-dominated kinematics at all radii, whereas about 25% of the clusters that begin in subhalo centers have remnant local dark matter.

A REVIEW ON MILGROM’S MODIFIED NEWTONIAN DYNAMICS IN 1983 AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE DARK MATTER

The spiral galaxies show a constant speed of rotation form their disk to the halo region, violating the Newtonian or the Keplerian motion. This feature is called the flat rotational curve, which seems to require some continuous dark matter distribution proportional to the distance. Some exotic elementary particles such as neutrinos are strong candidates for the dark matter. However, there is an alternative way to explain the flat rotational curve by modifying Newtonian law of gravitation, not introducing any form of dark matter.

What does lie at the Milky Way centre? Insights from the S2-star orbit precession

ABSTRACT It has been recently demonstrated that both, a classical Schwarzschild black hole (BH), and a dense concentration of self-gravitating fermionic dark matter (DM) placed at the Galaxy centre, can explain the precise astrometric data (positions and radial velocities) of the S-stars orbiting Sgr A*. This result encompasses the 17 best resolved S-stars, and includes the test of general relativistic effects such as the gravitational redshift in the S2-star. In addition, the DM model features another remarkable result: The dense core of fermions is the central region of a continuous density distribution of DM whose diluted halo explains the Galactic rotation curve. In this Letter, we complement the above findings by analysing in both models the relativistic periapsis precession of the S2-star orbit. While the Schwarzschild BH scenario predicts a unique prograde precession for S2, in the DM scenario, it can be either retrograde or prograde, depending on the amount of DM mass enclosed within the S2 orbit, which, in turn, is a function of the DM fermion mass. We show that all the current and publicly available data of S2 cannot discriminate between the two models, but upcoming S2 astrometry close to next apocentre passage could potentially establish if Sgr A* is governed by a classical BH or by a quantum DM system.

DETERMINATION OF GALAXY DISTRIBUTION WITH STATISTICAL MOMENTS

In this report we discuss topological studies of large scale structure of the Universe (LSS) from XMM-Newton, Sloan Digital Sky Survey and simulated data of galaxy distribution. Early works in this mentioned field were based on genus statistics, which is averaged curvature of isosurface of smoothed density field. Later, significant number of other methods was developed. This comprise Euler characteristics, Minkowski functionals, Voronoi clustering, alpha shapes, Delanuay tesselation, Morse theory, Hessian matrix and Soneira-Peebles models. In practice, modern topology methods are reducedto calculation of the three Betti numbers which shall be interpreted as a number of galaxy clusters, filaments and voids. Such an approach was applied by different authors both for simulated and observed LSS data. Topology methods are generally verified using LSS simulations. Observational data normally includes SDSS, CFHTLS and other surveys. These data have many systematical and statistical errors and gaps. Furthermore, there is also a problem of underlying dark matter distribution. The situation is not better in relation to calculations of the power spectrum and its power law index which does not provide a clear picture as well. In this work we propose some tools to solve above problems. First, we performed topology description of simple LSS models such as cubic, graphite-like and random Gaussian distribution of matter. Our next idea is to set a task for LSS topology assessment using X-ray observations of the galaxies. Although, here could be a major complication due to current lack of detected high energy emitting galaxies. Nevertheless, we are expecting to get sufficient results in the future encouraging comprehensive X-ray data. Here we present analysis of statistical moments for four galaxy samples and compare them with the behavior of Betti numbers. Finally, we consider the options of applying artificial neural networks to observed galaxies and fill the data deficiency. This shall enable to define topology at least for superimposed superclusters and other LSS elements.

Implications of non-galactic dark matter for sub-GeV direct detection searches

A fraction of the dark matter in the solar neighborhood might be composed of non-galactic particles with speeds larger than the escape velocity of the Milky Way. The non-galactic dark matter flux would enhance the sensitivity of direct detection experiments, due to the larger momentum transfer to the target. In this contribution, we first summarize our current knowledge of the dark matter distribution outside the Milky Way, we then review the modelling of the non-galactic dark matter flux at the Solar System, and we finally assess its impact on sub-GeV direct detection experiments searching for both nuclear and electron recoils.

Search for dark matter signals toward the irregular dwarf galaxy WLM with H.E.S.S

Cosmological and astrophysical probes suggest that dark matter (DM) makes up for 85% of the total matter of the Universe. The determination of its nature, however, remains one of the greatest challenges of fundamental Physics. In the DM indirect detection framework, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) particles would produce signals by self-annihilating and creating SM products such as γ rays, which might be detected by ground-based telescopes. Dwarf irregular galaxies represent promising targets for the search for DM as they are assumed to be dark matter dominated. These dwarf irregular galaxies are rotationally supported with relatively simple and well measured kinematics which lead to small uncertainties on their dark matter distribution profiles. In 2018, the H.E.S.S. telescopes observed the irregular dwarf galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM) for 18 hours. These observations are the very first ones made by an imaging air Cherenkov telescope toward this kind of objects. We search for a DM signal looking for excess of γ rays towards WLM dwarf galaxy. We perform the first analysis of this source in stereoscopy using the data taken by the five H.E.S.S. telescopes. In this proceeding, we present the new results on the observations of WLM interpreted in terms of velocity-weighted cross-section for DM self-annihilation 〈συ〉 as a function of DM particle mχ mass for the eight annihilation channels , and γγ.

Globular Clusters and Streaming Velocities: Testing the New Formation Channel in High-resolution Cosmological Simulations

Abstract The formation of globular clusters and their relation to the distribution of dark matter have long puzzled astronomers. One of the most recently proposed globular cluster formation channels ties ancient star clusters to the large-scale streaming velocity of baryons relative to dark matter in the early universe. These streaming velocities affect the global infall of baryons into dark matter halos, the high-redshift halo mass function, and the earliest generations of stars. In some cases, streaming velocities may result in dense regions of dark matter-free gas that becomes Jeans unstable, potentially leading to the formation of compact star clusters. We investigate this hypothesis using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that include a full chemical network and the formation and destruction of H2, a process crucial for the formation of the first stars. We find that high-density gas in regions with significant streaming velocities is indeed somewhat offset from the centers of dark matter halos, but this offset is typically significantly smaller than the virial radius. Gas outside of dark matter halos never reaches Jeans-unstable densities in our simulations. We postulate that low-level (Z ≈ 10−3 Z ⊙) metal enrichment by Population III supernovae may enable cooling in the extra-virial regions, allowing gas outside of dark matter halos to cool to the cosmic microwave background temperature and become Jeans unstable. Follow-up simulations that include both streaming velocities and metal enrichment by Population III supernovae are needed to understand if streaming velocities provide one path for the formation of globular clusters in the early universe.

Analysis of Experimental Cross-Sections of Charge Exchange between Hydrogen Atoms and Protons Yields More Evidence of the Existence of the Second Flavor of Hydrogen Atoms

Measurements of cross-sections of charge exchange between hydrogen atoms and low energy protons (down to the energy ~10 eV) revealed a noticeable discrepancy with previous theories. The experimental cross-sections were systematically slightly higher—beyond the error margins—than the theoretical predictions. In the present paper, we study whether this discrepancy can be eliminated or at least reduced by using the Second Flavor of Hydrogen Atoms (SFHA) in calculations. We show that for the SFHA, the corresponding cross-section is noticeably larger than for the usual hydrogen atoms. We demonstrate that the allowance for the SFHA does bring the theoretical cross-sections in a noticeably better agreement with the corresponding experiments within the experimental error margins. This seems to constitute yet another evidence from atomic experiments that the SFHA is present within the mixture of hydrogen atoms. In combination with the first corresponding piece of evidence from the analysis of atomic experiments (concerning the distribution of the linear momentum in the ground state of hydrogen atoms), as well as with the astrophysical evidence from two different kinds of observations (the anomalous absorption of the redshifted 21 cm radio line from the early universe and the smoother distribution of dark matter than that predicted by the standard cosmology), the results of the present paper reinforce the status of the SFHA as the candidate for dark matter, or at least for a part of it.

Lifting weak lensing degeneracies with a field-based likelihood

ABSTRACT We present a field-based approach to the analysis of cosmic shear data to infer jointly cosmological parameters and the dark matter distribution. This forward modelling approach samples the cosmological parameters and the initial matter fluctuations, using a physical gravity model to link the primordial fluctuations to the non-linear matter distribution. Cosmological parameters are sampled and updated consistently through the forward model, varying (1) the initial matter power spectrum, (2) the geometry through the distance-redshift relationship, and (3) the growth of structure and light-cone effects. Our approach extracts more information from the data than methods based on two-point statistics. We find that this field-based approach lifts the strong degeneracy between the cosmological matter density, Ωm, and the fluctuation amplitude, σ8, providing tight constraints on these parameters from weak lensing data alone. In the simulated four-bin tomographic experiment we consider, the field-based likelihood yields marginal uncertainties on σ8 and Ωm that are, respectively, a factor of 3 and 5 smaller than those from a two-point power spectrum analysis applied to the same underlying data.

DES map shows a smoother distribution of matter than expected: a possible explanation

The largest and most detailed map of the distribution of dark matter in the Universe has been recently created by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) team. The distribution was found to be slightly (by a few percent) smoother and less clumpy than predicted by general relativity. This result was considered as a hint of some new physical laws. In the present paper we offer a relatively simple model that could explain the above result without resorting to any new physical laws. The model deals with the dynamics of a system consisting of a large number of gravitating neutral particles, whose mass is equal to the mass of hydrogen atoms. The central point of the model is a partial inhibition of the gravitation for a relatively small subsystem of the entire system. It would be sufficient for this subsystem to constitute just about a few percent of the total ensemble of particles for explaining the few percent more smooth distribution of dark matter (observed by the DES team) compared to the prediction of general relativity. The most viable candidate for the dark matter particles in this model is the second flavor of hydrogen atoms (SFHA) that has only S-states and therefore does not couple to the electric dipole radiation or even to higher multipole radiation, so that the SFHA is practically dark. The SFHA has experimental confirmation from atomic experiments, it does not go beyond the Standard Model, it is based on standard quantum mechanics and it explains puzzling astrophysical observations of the redshifted line 21 cm from the early Universe. Thus, our model explaining the DES result of a little too smooth distribution of dark matter without resorting to any new physical laws seems to be self-consistent.

Supernova-driven Mechanism of Cusp-core Transformation: an Appraisal

Abstract We present and test an effective model for N-body simulations that aims at mimicking the impact of supernova (SN) feedback on the dark matter (DM) distribution of isolated halos hosting dwarf galaxies. Although the model is physically decoupled from the cosmological history of both the DM halo and the dwarf galaxy, it allows us to study the impact of different macroscopic parameters such as galaxy concentration, feedback energy, and energy injection time in the process of SN-driven core formation in a physically clear way. Using our effective model in a suite of N-body simulations of an isolated halo with different SN feedback parameters, we find that whether or not a DM core forms is determined by the total amount of SN feedback energy that is transferred to the DM particles. At a fixed injected energy, transfer of energy to the DM is more efficient the faster the energy is injected and the more compact the galaxy is, leading to an increased size of the formed DM core as a result. Analyzing the orbital evolution of kinematic tracers, we demonstrate that a core forms through SN feedback only if the energy injection is impulsive relative to the dynamical timescale of particles in the inner halo. However, there is no fundamental link between the total amount of injected energy and the injection rate. Consequently, the presence of signatures of impulsive changes of the gravitational potential is not a sufficient condition for dwarf-sized halos to have cored density profiles.