• Constraining interacting dark energy models with the halo concentration - mass relation

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The interacting dark energy (IDE) model is a promising alternative cosmological model which has the potential to solve the fine-tuning and coincidence problems by considering the interaction between dark matter and dark energy. Previous studies have shown that the energy exchange between the dark sectors in this model can significantly affect the dark matter halo properties. In this study, utilising a large set of cosmological $N$-body simulations, we analyse the redshift evolution of the halo concentration - mass ($c$ - $M$) relation in the IDE model, and show that the $c$ - $M$ relation is a sensitive proxy of the interaction strength parameter $\xi_2$, especially at lower redshifts. Furthermore, we construct parametrized formulae to quantify the dependence of the $c$ - $M$ relation on $\xi_2$ at redshifts ranging from $z=0$ to $0.6$. Our parametrized formulae provide a useful tool in constraining $\xi_2$ with the observational $c$ - $M$ relation. As a first attempt, we use the data from X-ray, gravitational lensing, and galaxy rotational curve observations and obtain a tight constraint on $\xi_2$, i.e. $\xi_2 = 0.071 \pm 0.034$. Our work demonstrates that the halo $c$ - $M$ relation, which reflects the halo assembly history, is a powerful probe to constrain the IDE model.

  • Dark Matter Halos in Interacting Dark Energy Models: Formation History, Density Profile, Spin and Shape

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The interacting dark energy (IDE) model, which considers the interaction between dark energy and dark matter, provides a natural mechanism to alleviate the coincidence problem and can also relieve the observational tensions under the $\Lambda$CDM model. Previous studies have put constraints on IDE models by observations of cosmic expansion history, cosmic microwave background and large-scale structures. However, these data are not yet enough to distinguish IDE models from $\Lambda$CDM effectively. Because the non-linear structure formation contains rich cosmological information, it can provide additional means to differentiate alternative models. In this paper, based on a set of $N$-body simulations for IDE models, we investigate the formation histories and properties of dark matter halos, and compare with their $\Lambda$CDM counterparts. For the model with dark matter decaying into dark energy and the parameters being the best-fit values from previous constraints, the structure formation is markedly slowed down, and the halos have systematically lower mass, looser internal structure, higher spin and anisotropy. This is inconsistent with the observed structure formation, and thus this model can be safely ruled out from the perspective of non-linear structure formation. Moreover, we find that the ratio of halo concentrations between IDE and $\Lambda$CDM counterparts depends sensitively on the interaction parameter and is independent of halo mass. This can act as a powerful probe to constrain IDE models. Our results concretely demonstrate that the interaction of the two dark components can affect the halo formation considerably, and therefore the constraints from non-linear structures are indispensable.

  • Constraining interacting dark energy models with the halo concentration - mass relation

    分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19

    摘要: The interacting dark energy (IDE) model is a promising alternative cosmological model which has the potential to solve the fine-tuning and coincidence problems by considering the interaction between dark matter and dark energy. Previous studies have shown that the energy exchange between the dark sectors in this model can significantly affect the dark matter halo properties. In this study, utilising a large set of cosmological $N$-body simulations, we analyse the redshift evolution of the halo concentration - mass ($c$ - $M$) relation in the IDE model, and show that the $c$ - $M$ relation is a sensitive proxy of the interaction strength parameter $\xi_2$, especially at lower redshifts. Furthermore, we construct parametrized formulae to quantify the dependence of the $c$ - $M$ relation on $\xi_2$ at redshifts ranging from $z=0$ to $0.6$. Our parametrized formulae provide a useful tool in constraining $\xi_2$ with the observational $c$ - $M$ relation. As a first attempt, we use the data from X-ray, gravitational lensing, and galaxy rotational curve observations and obtain a tight constraint on $\xi_2$, i.e. $\xi_2 = 0.071 \pm 0.034$. Our work demonstrates that the halo $c$ - $M$ relation, which reflects the halo assembly history, is a powerful probe to constrain the IDE model.