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Detecting the Disruption of Dark-Matter Halos with Stellar Streams

Jo Bovy
Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 121301 – Published 22 March 2016
Physics logo See Synopsis: Spotting Dark Matter Clumps

Abstract

Narrow stellar streams in the Milky Way halo are uniquely sensitive to dark-matter subhalos, but many of these subhalos may be tidally disrupted. I calculate the interaction between stellar and dark-matter streams using analytical and N-body calculations, showing that disrupting objects can be detected as low-concentration subhalos. Through this effect, we can constrain the lumpiness of the halo as well as the orbit and present position of individual dark-matter streams. This will have profound implications for the formation of halos and for direct- and indirect-detection dark-matter searches.

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  • Received 29 November 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.121301

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Gravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

Synopsis

Key Image

Spotting Dark Matter Clumps

Published 22 March 2016

Streaming threads of stars orbiting galaxies could be used to detect clumps of dark matter predicted to make up dark matter halos.

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Authors & Affiliations

Jo Bovy*

  • Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H4, Canada

  • *bovy@astro.utoronto.ca

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Issue

Vol. 116, Iss. 12 — 25 March 2016

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