Stability of condensed fuzzy dark matter halos

Abstract

Stability properties of gravitationally bound condensates composed of ultralight axionic Fuzzy Dark Matter (FDM) are studied. Previous work has shown that astrophysical collisions could make self-gravitating condensates structurally unstable, making them prone to collapse and decay; in the context of FDM, we reexamine the relevant timescales using the time-dependent variational method. We show that FDM condensates can be made unstable through gravitational interactions with central black holes, for black hole masses in a phenomenologically relevant range. Instability could also be stimulated by galaxy collisions. The subsequent decay takes place over a period lasting as long as many thousands of years. We also discuss the possible relevance of FDM condensates to understanding the composition of Ultracompact Dwarf (UCD) Galaxies. Future observation of extremely massive black holes in the central regions of UCDs can constrain this interpretation.