Dark halos around neutron stars and gravitational waves

Journal Article · 04 July 2019 · Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2019/07/012 · OSTI ID:1596187

Nelson, Ann E. ^[1]; Reddy, Sanjay ^[2]; Zhou, Dake ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); University of Washington
2. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

Here, we find that models of MeV-GeV dark matter in which dark matter interacts strongly can be constrained by the observation of gravitational waves from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. Trace amounts of dark matter, either produced during the supernova or accreted later, can alter the structure of neutron stars (NS) and influence their tidal deformability. We focus on models of dark matter interacting by the exchange of light vector gauge bosons that couple to a conserved dark charge. In these models, dark matter accumulated in neutron stars can extend to large radii. Gravitational waves detected from the first observed BNS merger GW170817 places useful constraints on such not-so compact objects. Dark halos, if present, further predict a greater variability of neutron star tidal deformabilities than expected for ordinary neutron stars.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation; USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP) (SC-25); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP) (SC-26)
• Grant/Contract Number: FG02-00ER41132; SC0011637
• OSTI ID: 1596187
• Journal Information: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Journal Issue: 07 Vol. 2019; ISSN 1475-7516
• Publisher: Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English