Soliton self-gravity and core-halo relation in fuzzy dark matter halos (2411.14614v1)

Abstract: Fuzzy dark matter (FDM) is an attractive dark matter candidate composed of ultralight particles. In this paper, toward a clear understanding of the core-halo relation in the FDM halos, we consider a simple model of the soliton-halo system, in which the self-gravitating soliton core is formed in the presence of Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) halo potential as an external field. Solving numerically the Schr\"odinger-Poisson equation, the self-gravitating soliton is obtained as a ground-state solution, which is characterized by the two key parameters, i.e., size of soliton core and its strength of self-gravity relative to those of the NFW halo. Using our soliton-halo model, we investigate the properties of soliton cores found in cosmological simulation, and the key parameters characterizing these solitons are reconstructed in a self-consistent manner. Results suggest that (1) the soliton core properties depend critically on both the self-gravity of the soliton and the external potential of the host halo, and (2) the scatter observed in the core-halo relation cannot be explained solely by the one in the halo's concentration-mass relation, as previously suggested, but also significantly influenced by intrinsic features of the soliton core, potentially arising from local dynamics at the halo center. We also demonstrate that the FDM mass can be reconstructed from the simulation data characterizing the halo density profile, providing a basis for applying the model to observational studies.