Gravitational Microlensing and Halo Dark Matter

Physics – Nuclear Physics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

By means of extensive galactic modeling we study the implications of the more than 100 microlensing events that have now been observed for the composition of the dark halo of the Galaxy. We consider Galactic models with luminous and dark disk components, a bulge, and a dark halo consisting of both MACHOs and cold dark matter with each component being described by several observationally motivated parameters. This initial model space is constrained by the observational data, including rotation curve, local projected mass density, and microlensing rates toward the LMC and bulge. Based on the currently published data and a conservative, minimal set of observational constraints an all-MACHO halo cannot yet be excluded, although in most viable models of the Galaxy the halo MACHO fraction is between 0% and 30%, consistent with expectations for a universe whose primary component is cold dark matter. We also consider the implications of the preliminary 2nd year MACHO results, which suggest a higher optical depth toward the LMC. In this case the likelihood function for the halo MACHO fraction has a peak around 20% - 40%, and the halo MACHO fraction is less than 60% in most models.

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