Dark Matter-Heated Neutron Stars in the Galactic Center Remain Below Current Detection Thresholds
A new theoretical study finds that dark matter captured and annihilated inside neutron stars near the Galactic Center would heat their surfaces to temperatures between 10,000 and 1,000,000 Kelvin, but the resulting thermal emission is too faint to detect with current instruments. The predicted flux density from individual neutron stars remains below ~0.1 nanojanskys, and cumulative infrared surface brightness falls well below current sensitivity limits, even when a dense dark matter 'spike' near the Galactic Center is assumed. The results constrain the observational prospects for using neutron star temperatures as a dark matter probe, while suggesting that nearby neutron stars with lower interstellar extinction may be more promising targets.
Researchers have modeled the thermal effects of dark matter (DM) capture and annihilation on neutron stars (NSs) located in the Galactic Center, accounting for both kinetic energy deposited during DM capture and heat released by internal DM annihilation. For neutron stars older than roughly 10 million years, the surface temperature is predicted to reach an equilibrium value between approximately 10,000 and 1,000,000 Kelvin, depending on the star's position and the local DM density. When a dense DM 'spike' is assumed near the Galactic Center, the enhanced heating shifts emission into ultraviolet and soft X-ray bands, but strong interstellar extinction and high hydrogen column densities severely suppress the observable flux. The study systematically evaluates a range of DM density profiles, from cored to cuspy distributions, finding that the predicted flux density from a single neutron star stays below ~0.1 nanojanskys and the integrated infrared surface brightness from the entire Galactic Center neutron star population yields a signal-to-noise ratio well below current detection thresholds. The authors conclude that while Galactic Center neutron stars are not currently viable probes of dark matter through thermal emission, neutron stars in less obscured, nearby environments could offer more accessible detection opportunities in the future.
What's missing
The study does not discuss specific future telescope facilities or sensitivity improvements (e.g., next-generation X-ray or infrared observatories) that might eventually reach the predicted flux levels. It also does not address alternative DM detection channels (e.g., gravitational or radio signatures) that could complement the thermal approach.
What different sources said
- arXiv astro-phCenter
Thermal emission from dark matter-heated neutron stars in the Galactic Center
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