Observable tests of self-interacting dark matter in galaxy clusters: cosmological simulations with SIDM and baryons

2018/10/31 by Andrew Robertson, David Harvey, R. Massey +7 · 134 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Baryon #Cluster (spacecraft) #Cold dark matter #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #Dark matter #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Gravitational lens #Observable #Physics #Redshift #Weak gravitational lensing #astro-ph.CO

paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stz1815

published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 488(3), 3646-3662 (Oxford University Press) · 19 pages, 13 figures, updated to match MNRAS version

openalex publication_date 2019/07/09 · arxiv created 2020/06/01 · arxiv updated 2020/06/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/08

Abstract

ABSTRACT We present bahamas-SIDM, the first large-volume, (400 h^-1 Mpc)³, cosmological simulations including both self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) and baryonic physics. These simulations are important for two primary reasons: (1) they include the effects of baryons on the dark matter distribution and (2) the baryon particles can be used to make mock observables that can be compared directly with observations. As is well known, SIDM haloes are systematically less dense in their centres, and rounder, than CDM haloes. Here, we find that that these changes are not reflected in the distribution of gas or stars within galaxy clusters, or in their X-ray luminosities. However, gravitational lensing observables can discriminate between DM models, and we present a menu of tests that future surveys could use to measure the SIDM interaction strength. We ray-trace our simulated galaxy clusters to produce strong lensing maps. Including baryons boosts the lensing strength of clusters that produce no critical curves in SIDM-only simulations. Comparing the Einstein radii of our simulated clusters with those observed in the CLASH survey, we find that at velocities around 1000 \mathrm km s^-1 an SIDM cross-section of σ /m \gtrsim 1 \mathrmcm² g^-1 is likely incompatible with observed cluster lensing.

Citations

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