  I consider constraints from observations on a cutoff scale in clustering due
to free streaming of the dark matter in a warm dark matter cosmological model
with a cosmological constant. The limits are derived in the framework of a
sterile neutrino warm dark matter universe, but can be applied to gravitinos
and other models with small scale suppression in the linear matter power
spectrum. With freedom in all cosmological parameters including the free
streaming scale of the sterile neutrino dark matter, limits are derived using
observations of the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background, the 3D
clustering of galaxies and 1D clustering of gas in the Lyman-alpha (Ly-alpha)
forest in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), as well as the Ly-alpha forest
in high-resolution spectroscopic observations. In the most conservative case,
using only the SDSS main-galaxy 3D power-spectrum shape, the limit is m_s >
0.11 keV; including the SDSS Ly-alpha forest, this limit improves to m_s > 1.7
keV. More stringent constraints may be placed from the inferred matter power
spectrum from high-resolution Ly-alpha forest observations, which has
significant systematic uncertainties; in this case, the limit improves to m_s >
3.0 keV (all at 95% CL).

Astrophysics;High Energy Physics - Phenomenology