Formation, gravitational clustering, and interactions of nonrelativistic solitons in an expanding universe

Journal Article · 09 September 2019 · Physical Review D

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.100.063507 · OSTI ID:1594812

Amin, Mustafa A. ^[1]; Mocz, Philip ^[2]

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1. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

We investigate the formation, gravitational clustering and interactions of solitons in a self-interacting, non-relativistic scalar field in an expanding universe. Rapid formation of large number of solitons is driven by attractive self-interactions of the field, whereas the slower clustering of solitons is driven by gravitational forces. Driven closer together by gravity, we see a rich plethora of dynamics in the soliton "gas" including mergers, scatterings and formation of soliton binaries. Here, the numerical simulations are complemented by analytic calculations and estimates of (i) the relevant instability length and time scales, (ii) individual soliton profiles and their stability, (iii) number density of produced solitons, and (iv) the two point correlation function of soliton positions as evidence for gravitational clustering.

• Research Organization: Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0018216; PF7-180164; NAS8-03060; PHY-1607611
• OSTI ID: 1594812
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1560778; OSTI ID: 1594813
• Journal Information: Physical Review D, Vol. 100, Issue 6; ISSN 2470-0010
• Publisher: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English