Proto-neutron stars with dark matter admixture: A single-fluid approach

This work investigates the impact of dark matter (DM) on the microscopic and macroscopic properties of proto-neutron stars (PNSs). We employ a single-fluid framework in which DM interacts with ordinary matter (OM) via the Higgs portal and remains in thermal equilibrium through non-gravitational interactions. Using a quasi-static approximation, we analyze the evolution of PNSs during the Kelvin–Helmholtz phase by varying the DM mass while keeping the entropy per baryon and lepton fraction fixed. Our results show that DM absorbs thermal energy from the stellar medium without efficient re-emission, thereby altering neutrino emission and affecting the star’s thermal evolution history. Furthermore, neutrinos contribute significantly to pressure support in the PNS phase, inhibiting DM mass accretion during neutrino-trapped stages. Based on the requirement to satisfy the observed 2 M ⊙ neutron star mass constraint and to maintain consistency with supernova remnant data, we suggest an upper limit of m χ ≤ 0 . 62 GeV for the DM mass that can accrete in evolving PNSs, within the model framework. In contrast, we established that cold neutron stars (NSs) can support higher DM masses without compromising equilibrium stability, owing to increased central density, enhanced gravitational binding energy, and reduced thermal pressure.