Mass Profiles of Galaxy Cluster Cores: Implications for Structure Formation and Self-Interacting Dark Matter

2004/08/19 by J. S. Arabadjis, Marshall W. Bautz, Arabadjis, J. S. +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Scientific Research and Discoveries #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0408362

submitted to the ApJ; 20 pages

arxiv created 2004/08/19 · openalex publication_date 2004/08/19 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We present a spectroscopic deprojection analysis of a sample of ten relaxed galaxy clusters. We use an empirical F-test derived from a set of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations to determine if the core plasma in each cluster could contain multiple phases. We derive non-parametric baryon density and temperature profiles, and use these to construct total gravitating mass profiles. We compare these profiles with the standard halo parameterizations. We find central density slopes roughly consistent with the predictions of LCDM: -1 \lesssim dlog(ρ)/dlog(r) \lesssim -2. We constrain the core size of each cluster and, using the results of cosmological simulations as a calibrator, place an upper limit of ~0.1 cm²/g = 0.2 b(GeV/c²)^-1 (99% confidence) on the dark matter particle self-interaction cross section.

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