title: Limits on self-interacting dark matter from neutron stars.
abstract: We impose new severe constraints on the self-interactions of fermionic asymmetric dark matter based on observations of nearby old neutron stars. Weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) self-interactions mediated by Yukawa-type interactions can lower significantly the number of WIMPs necessary for gravitational collapse of the WIMP population accumulated in a neutron star. Even nearby neutron stars located at regions of low dark matter density can accrete a sufficient number of WIMPs that can potentially collapse, form a mini black hole, and destroy the host star. Based on this, we derive constraints on the WIMP self-interactions which in some cases are by several orders of magnitude stricter than the ones from the bullet cluster.
authors.affiliation: CP3-Origins & Danish Institute for Advanced Study DIAS, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark. kouvaris@cp3.sdu.dk
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kouvaris