Limits on self-interacting dark matter from neutron stars
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Updated: May 18, 2026

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
Published on: November 15, 2013
1CP3-Origins & Danish Institute for Advanced Study DIAS, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark. kouvaris@cp3.sdu.dk
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.
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