HEP Theory Journal Club

Cusp-to-core conversion from late-time dark matter oscillations

Guillermo Gambini

McGill

We argue that reactivation of dark matter (DM) annihilations during structure formation can efficiently reduce the DM density inside galaxies, transforming cusps into cores, while respecting constraints from big bang nucleosynthesis, the cosmic microwave background, and the observed DM relic density. We present two models of asymmetric dark matter where a quasi-Dirac DM candidate can annihilate into a lighter mediator. Results from solving quantum Boltzmann equations and performing N-body simulations for two dwarf spheroidal galaxies and a galactic cluster are shown. These are qualitatively similar to those obtained in the elastic SIDM paradigm.