Tidal Heating of Stellar Clusters in Fuzzy Dark Matter Halos
TLDR
This paper simulates stellar clusters in fuzzy dark matter (FDM) halos, finding tidal heating dominates for low FDM particle masses.
Key contributions
- Simulates stellar clusters in FDM halos to study dynamical heating mechanisms.
- Finds tidal heating dominates for low FDM particle masses where de Broglie wavelength is large.
- Shows reduced soliton mass and tidally stripped halos can suppress the heating effect.
- Emphasizes considering FDM halo structure and environment for accurate mass constraints.
Why it matters
This paper refines our understanding of how fuzzy dark matter interacts with stellar clusters, especially at low particle masses. It highlights the importance of detailed halo modeling for accurate FDM mass constraints, improving tests of wave dark matter models.
Original Abstract
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies serve as powerful testing grounds for wave dark matter models through dynamical stellar heating. Previous simulation-based work derived a lower bound on the fuzzy dark matter particle mass using a diffusion approximation valid only when the de Broglie wavelength is much smaller than the galaxy's half-light radius. We simulate the dynamical evolution of stellar clusters in FDM halos across a wide mass range and find that for sufficiently low masses, where the de Broglie wavelength is much larger than the cluster size, tidal heating is the main mechanism. We also find that a reduced soliton mass and tidally stripped halo can suppress the heating. We demonstrate that in order to constrain FDM mass from cluster heating, the structure and environment of the FDM halo must be carefully considered.
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