title: Q-ball candidates for self-interacting dark matter.
abstract: We show that nontopological solitons, known as Q-balls, are promising candidates for self-interacting dark matter. They can satisfy the cross-section requirements for a broad range of masses. Unlike previously considered examples, Q-balls can stick together after collision, reducing the effective self-interaction rate to a negligible value after a few collisions per particle. This feature modifies predictions for halo formation. We also discuss the possibility that Q-balls have large interaction cross sections with ordinary matter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kusenko
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Steinhardt