Quantum improved wormholes in the Dekel-Zhao dark matter halo

Abstract: This work presents and investigates novel traversable wormhole solutions within the framework of Asymptotically Safe Gravity (ASG), sourced by a dark matter halo modeled by the Dekel--Zhao density profile. The scale-dependent gravitational coupling $G(k)$, derived from the ASG renormalization group flow in the infrared regime, is incorporated directly into the field equations, providing a consistent description of quantum gravitational corrections even at astrophysical scales. The combined effects of the running coupling (parameterized by $\xi$) and the dark matter characteristics determine the geometric structure and physical viability of the wormhole. The solutions satisfy the flare-out and asymptotic flatness conditions within restricted parameter domains, exhibiting enhanced curvature near the throat due to ASG corrections. Null Energy Conditions are necessarily violated at the throat, and stability analysis based on the adiabatic sound speed as well as the modified Tolman--Oppenheimer--Volkoff equation reveal that quantum effects from ASG counteract the destabilizing influence of dark matter. Phenomenologically, the wormhole shadow radius increases nearly linearly with $\xi$, lying within the Event Horizon Telescope bounds for Sgr~A$^*$ when $\xi/M \simeq 0.8--0.9$, thus suggesting that ASG-corrected wormholes may represent observable signatures of quantum gravity in the strong-field regime.