Dark matter equation of state from rotational curves of galaxies

Abstract

In this work, we model galactic haloes describing the dark matter as a non-zero pressure fluid and derive, not impose, a dark matter equation of state by using observational data of the rotation curves of galaxies. In order to reach hydrostatic equilibrium, as expected for the halo, it is mandatory that dark fluid's pressure should not be zero. The equation of state is obtained by solving the matter-geometry system of equations assuming different dark matter density or rotational velocity profiles. The resulting equations of state are, in general, different to a barotropic equation of state. The free parameters of the equation of state are fixed by fitting the observed rotational velocities of a set of galaxies.