Title: Constraining dark matter substructure with Gaia wide binaries

Journal Article · · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

ABSTRACT We use a catalogue of stellar binaries with wide separations (up to 1 pc) identified by the Gaia satellite to constrain the presence of extended substructure within the Milky Way galaxy. Heating of the binaries through repeated encounters with substructure results in a characteristic distribution of binary separations, allowing constraints to be placed independent of the formation mechanism of wide binaries. Across a wide range of subhalo density profiles, we show that subhaloes with masses $$\gtrsim 65\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$$ and characteristic length scales similar to the separation of these wide binaries cannot make up 100 per cent of the Galaxy’s dark matter. Constraints weaken for subhaloes with larger length scales and are dependent on their density profiles. For such large subhaloes, higher central densities lead to stronger constraints. Subhaloes with density profiles similar to those expected from cold dark matter must be at least ∼5000 times denser than predicted by simulation to be constrained by the wide binary catalogue.

Research Organization:
Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0010008
OSTI ID:
2419964
Journal Information:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Journal Name: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 525; ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher:
Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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