We constrain the parameters of a self-interacting massive dark matter scalar particle in a condensate using the kinematics of the eight brightest dwarf spheroidal satellites of the Milky Way. For the case of a repulsive self-interaction, the condensate develops a mass density profile with a characteristic scale radius that is closely related to the fundamental parameters of the theory. We find that the velocity dispersion of dwarf spheroidal galaxies suggests a scale radius of the order of 1 kpc, in tension with previous results found using the rotational curve of low-surface-brightness and dwarf galaxies. The new value is however favored marginally by the constraints coming from the number of relativistic species at big bang nucleosynthesis. We discuss the implications of our findings for the particle dark matter model and argue that while a single classical coherent state can correctly describe the dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies, it cannot play, in general, a relevant role for the description of dark matter in bigger objects.

• Received 10 April 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.90.043517