White Dwarfs in Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies: A New Class of Compact-Dark-Matter Detectors

Smirnov, Juri ORCID: 0000-0002-3082-0929, Goobar, Ariel, Linden, Tim and Mörtsell, Edvard (2024) White Dwarfs in Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies: A New Class of Compact-Dark-Matter Detectors Physical Review Letters, 132 (15). 151401-. ISSN 0031-9007, 1079-7114

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Abstract

Recent surveys have discovered a population of faint supernovae, known as Ca-rich gap transients, inferred to originate from explosive ignitions of white dwarfs. In addition to their unique spectra and luminosities, these supernovae have an unusual spatial distribution and are predominantly found at large distances from their presumed host galaxies. We show that the locations of Ca-rich gap transients are well matched to the distribution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies surrounding large galaxies, in a scenario where dark matter interactions induce thermonuclear explosions among low-mass white dwarfs that may be otherwise difficult to ignite with standard stellar or binary evolution mechanisms. A plausible candidate to explain the observed event rate are primordial black holes with masses above 1021 grams.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	5101 Astronomical Sciences, 51 Physical Sciences
Divisions:	Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	19 Apr 2024 10:41
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 19:54
DOI:	10.1103/physrevlett.132.151401
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3180455
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