Related papers: The case for a cold dark matter cusp in Draco
We introduce a novel implementation of orbit-based (or Schwarzschild) modeling that allows dark matter density profiles to be calculated non-parametrically in nearby galaxies. Our models require no assumptions to be made about velocity…
Gravitational potential fluctuations driven by bursty star formation can kinematically 'heat up' dark matter at the centres of dwarf galaxies. A key prediction of such models is that, at a fixed dark matter halo mass, dwarfs with a higher…
The core-cusp problem is one of the controversial issues in the standard paradigm of $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) theory. However, under the assumption of conventional spherical symmetry, the strong degeneracy among model…
We explore the possible signatures of dark matter (DM) pair annihilations in the nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxy Draco. After investigating the mass models for Draco in the light of available observational data, we carefully model the DM…
We analyze four epochs of HST imaging over 18 years for the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We measure precise proper motions (PMs) for hundreds of stars and combine these with existing line-of-sight (LOS) velocities. This provides the first…
The Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy (dSph), with its apparent immense mass to light ratio and compact size, holds many clues to the nature of the enigmatic dark matter. Here we present deep photometric studies of this dwarf galaxy, undertaken…
Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models struggle to match the observations at galactic scales. The tension can be reduced either by dramatic baryonic feedback effects or by modifying the particle physics of CDM. Here, we consider an ultra-light…
We study the distribution of dark matter in the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy by modelling the moments of the line-of-sight velocity distribution of stars obtained from new velocity data of Wilkinson et al. The luminosity distribution is…
I report recent results of numerical simulations designed to study the inner structure of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) halos. This work confirms the proposal of Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) that the shape of LambdaCDM halo mass profiles differs…
We examine the dynamics of stellar systems embedded within cold dark matter (CDM) halos in order to assess observational constraints on the dark matter content of Local Group dwarf spheroidals (dSphs). Our analysis shows that the total mass…
Rotation curves of galaxies probe their total mass distributions, including dark matter. Dwarf galaxies are excellent systems to investigate the dark matter density distribution, as they tend to have larger fractions of dark matter compared…
We use a cosmological simulation of the Local Group to make quantitative and speculative predictions for direct detection experiments. Cold dark matter (CDM) halos form via a complex series of mergers, accretion events and violent…
Every dark matter halo and subhalo is expected to have a prompt $\rho\propto r^{-1.5}$ central density cusp, which is a relic of its condensation out of the smooth mass distribution of the early universe. The sizes of these prompt cusps are…
The CACTUS atmospheric Cherenkov telescope collaboration recently reported a gamma-ray excess from the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Draco features a very low gas content and a large mass-to-light ratio, suggesting as a possible…
Using an analytic model calibrated against numerical simulations, we calculate the central densities of dark matter halos in a ``conventional'' cold dark matter model with a cosmological constant (LCDM) and in a ``tilted'' model (TLCDM)…
Numerical simulations within a cold dark matter (DM) cosmology form halos whose density profiles have a steep inner slope (`cusp'), yet observations of galaxies often point towards a flat central `core'. We develop a convolutional mixture…
We derive inner dark matter halo density profiles for a sample of 165 low-mass galaxies using rotation curves obtained from high-quality, long-slit optical spectra assuming minimal disks and spherical symmetry. For $\rho(r) \sim…
For nearly 40 years, dark matter has been widely assumed to be cold and collisionless. Cold dark matter models make fundamental predictions for the behavior of dark matter on small (<10 kpc) scales. These predictions include cuspy density…
By fitting a flexible stellar anisotropy model to the observed surface brightness and line-of-sight velocity dispersion profiles of Draco we derive a sequence of cosmologically plausible two-component (stars + dark matter) models for this…
Dark matter-only simulations predict that dark matter halos have steep, cuspy inner density profiles, while observations of dwarf galaxies find a range of inner slopes that are often much shallower. There is debate whether this discrepancy…