Dark Stars: Improved Models and First Pulsation Results

Understand

We use the stellar evolution code MESA to study dark stars.

• Dark stars (DSs), which are powered by dark matter (DM) self-annihilation rather than by nuclear fusion, may be the first stars to form in the Universe.
• We compute stellar models for accreting DSs with masses up to 10^6 M_{sun}.
• The heating due to DM annihilation is self-consistently included, assuming extended adiabatic contraction of DM within the minihalos in which DSs form.