Constraints on a dark matter sub-halo near the Sun from pulsar timing

2025/07/22 by Sukanya Chakrabarti, Chakrabarti, Sukanya, Philip Chang +5 · 5 voices · 4 citations
#astro-ph.GA

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.16932

Abstract

Using pulsar accelerations, we identify and constrain the properties of a dark matter sub-halo in the Galaxy for the first time from analyzing the acceleration field of binary and solitary pulsars. Our MCMC calculations show that this sub-halo has a mass of 2.45^+1.07_-0.96 × 10⁷~M_\odot and is located at Galactocentric coordinates X = 7.43^+0.2_-0.12~\rm kpc, Y = 0.38^+0.11_-0.16 ~\rm kpc, Z = 0.21^+0.06_-0.11 ~\rm kpc, using flat, uninformative priors, where we have modeled the sub-halo as a compact object. The Bayes factors for the models are in the range of ∼ 20-40, which indicates tentative evidence (though not yet decisive) for the sub-halo. Modeling the sub-halo with a NFW profile gives a sub-halo mass within the scale radius (0.1 kpc) of 0.48^0.15_-0.16 × 10⁷ M_\odot, located at X = 7.47^+0.21_-0.14, Y=0.38^+0.11_-0.16, Z=0.21^+0.06_-0.11. We examine Gaia data and the atomic and molecular hydrogen data of our Galaxy and show that the measured deviation from a smooth potential cannot arise from the gas or the stars in our Galaxy. By analyzing the full sample of binary pulsars with available acceleration measurements, we find that massive (with mass >10⁸~M_\odot~) sub-halos are disfavored for the Milky Way within several kiloparsec of the Sun. Smaller sub-halos are beyond the reach of current direct acceleration measurements. The presence of a ∼ 10⁷~M_\odot sub-halo within a few kpc of the Sun is potentially consistent with the expected number counts of sub-halos in the prevailing ΛCDM paradigm, for a substantial sub-halo mass fraction. This work now provides a proof of principle for probing nearby, low-mass sub-halos, and has implications across many fields of astrophysics - from understanding the nature of dark matter to galaxy formation.

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Discussions

• ooh arxiv.org/abs/2507.16932 [bsky, 40 points, 3 comments]
• Did we finally detect a starless dark matter subhalo? Michelle leads us through a paper that claims to find one near the Sun using pulsar accelerations 😍 🔭 ☄️ arxiv.org/abs/2507.16932 [bsky, 5 points, 0 comments]
• Today on the #arXiv: Chakrabarti et al. 2025, "Detection of a dark matter sub-halo near the Sun from pulsar timing" - arxiv.org/abs/2507.16932 To reassure other solar system astronomers: "sub-halo nea [bsky, 2 points, 1 comments]
• Detection of a dark matter sub-halo near the Sun from pulsar timing: arxiv.org/abs/2507.16932 -> Has a huge blob of dark matter been found in our galactic neighborhood? www.science.org/content/arti... [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]
• Today on the # arXiv : Chakrabarti et al. 2025, "Detection of a dark matter sub-halo near the Sun from pulsar timing" - https:// arxiv.org/abs/2507.16932 To reassure other solar system astronomers: "s [mastodon, 0 points, 0 comments]

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