Impact of primordial black hole dark matter on gas properties at very high redshift: Semianalytical model

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile
² Centro de Astro-Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, Chile
³ Instituto de Astronomía Teórica y Experimental (IATE), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Laprida 854, X5000BGR Córdoba, Argentina
⁴ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
⁵ Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
⁶ Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio, CONICET-UBA, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
⁷ Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

Received: 18 February 2024
Accepted: 14 May 2024

Abstract

Context. Primordial black holes (PBHs) have been proposed as potential candidates for dark matter (DM) and have garnered significant attention in recent years.

Aims. Our objective is to delve into the distinct impact of PBHs on the gas properties and their potential role in shaping the cosmic structure. Specifically, we aim to analyze the evolving gas properties while considering the presence of accreting PBHs with varying monochromatic masses and in different quantities. By studying the feedback effects produced by this accretion, our final goal is to assess the plausibility of PBHs as candidates for DM.

Methods. We developed a semianalytical model that works on top of the CIELO hydrodynamical simulation around z ∼ 23. This model enables a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of gas properties affected by PBHs. Our focus lies on the temperature and hydrogen abundances, with specific emphasis on the region closest to the halo center. We explore PBH masses of 1, 33, and 100 M_⊙, located within mass windows in which a substantial fraction of DM could exist in the form of PBHs. We investigated various DM fractions composed of these PBHs (f_PBH > 10⁻⁴).

Results. Our findings suggest that PBHs with masses of 1 M_⊙ and fractions greater than or equal to approximately 10⁻² would be ruled out due to the significant changes induced in the gas properties. The same applies to PBHs with a mass of 33 M_⊙ and 100 M_⊙ and fractions greater than approximately 10⁻³. These effects are particularly pronounced in the region nearest to the halo center, potentially leading to delayed galaxy formation within halos.