Ultralight Dark Matter Research Articles

Effect of Ultralight Dark Matter on g-2 of the Electron.

If dark matter is ultralight, the number density of dark matter is very high, and the techniques of zero-temperature field theory are no longer valid. The dark matter number density modifies the vacuum, giving it a non-negligible particle occupation number. For fermionic dark matter, this occupation number can be no larger than one. However, in the case of bosons, the occupation number is unbounded. If there is a large occupation number, the Bose enhancement needs to be taken into consideration for any process involving particles which interact with the dark matter. Because the occupation number scales inversely with the dark matter mass, this effect is most prominent for ultralight dark matter. In fact, the Bose enhancement effect from the background is so significant for ultralight dark matter that, if dark matter is a dark photon, the correction to the anomalous magnetic moment is larger than experimental uncertainties for a mixing parameter of the order of 10^{-16} and a dark photon mass of the order of 10^{-20} eV. Furthermore, the constraint on the mixing parameter scales linearly with the dark photon mass, and so new significant constraints can be placed on the dark matter mass all the way up to 10^{-14} eV. Future experiments measuring g-2 will probe even smaller gauge mixing parameters.

Cosmological simulations of mixed ultralight dark matter

Cosmological simulations of mixed ultralight dark matter

ULDM self-interactions, tidal effects and tunnelling out of satellite galaxies

It is well-known that Dark Matter (DM) inside a satellite galaxy orbiting a host halo experiences a tidal potential. If DM is ultra-light, given its wave-like nature, one expects it to tunnel out of the satellite — if this happens sufficiently quickly, then the satellite will not survive over cosmological timescales, severely constraining this dark matter model. In this paper, we study the effects of the inevitable quartic self-interaction of scalar Ultra-Light Dark Matter (ULDM) on the lifetimes of satellite galaxies by looking for quasi-stationary solutions with outgoing wave boundary conditions. For a satellite with some known core mass and orbital period, we find that, attractive (repulsive) self-interactions decrease (increase) the rate of tunnelling of DM out of it. In particular, for satellite galaxies with core mass ∼𝒪(107–108) M⊙ and orbital period ∼𝒪(1) Gyr, one can impose constraints on the strength of self-interactions as small as λ∼𝒪(10-92). For instance, for ULDM mass m = 10-22 eV, the existence of the Fornax dwarf galaxy necessitates attractive self-interactions with λ≲ -2.12 × 10-91.

Curl up with a good B: detecting ultralight dark matter with differential magnetometry

Ultralight dark matter (such as kinetically mixed dark-photon dark matter or axionlike dark matter) can source an oscillating magnetic-field signal at the Earth’s surface, which can be measured by a synchronized array of ground-based magnetometers. The global signal of ultralight dark matter can be robustly predicted for low masses, when the wavelength of the dark matter is larger than the radius of the Earth, λDM ≫ R. However, at higher masses, environmental effects, such as the Schumann resonances, can become relevant, making the global magnetic-field signal B difficult to reliably model. In this work, we show that ∇ × B is robust to global environmental details, and instead only depends on the local dark matter amplitude. We therefore propose to measure the local curl of the magnetic field at the Earth’s surface, as a means for detecting ultralight dark matter with λDM ≲ R. As this measurement requires vertical gradients, it can be done near a hill/mountain. Our measurement scheme not only allows for a robust prediction, but also acts as a background rejection scheme for external noise sources. We show that our technique can be the most sensitive terrestrial probe of dark-photon dark matter for frequencies 10 Hz ≤ fA′\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {f}_{A^{\\prime }} $$\\end{document} ≤ 1 kHz (corresponding to masses 4 × 10−14 eV ≤ mA′\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {m}_{A^{\\prime }} $$\\end{document} ≤ 4 × 10−12 eV). It can also achieve sensitivities to axionlike dark matter comparabe to the CAST helioscope, in the same frequency range.

Gravitational wave probes on self-interacting dark matter surrounding an intermediate mass black hole

The presence of dark matter overdensities surrounding a black hole can influence the evolution of a binary system. The gravitational wave signals emitted by a black hole binary offer a promising means to probe the dark matter environments near a black hole. The dense region of dark matter can lead to the dephasing of gravitational waveforms, which can be detected by upcoming experiments such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The dark matter density profile around the black hole can vary for different dark matter models. Our study specifically investigates the impact of the ultralight self-interacting scalar dark matter (SIDM) on the gravitational wave signals emitted by black hole binaries. A distinctive characteristic of SIDM surrounding a black hole, as opposed to collisionless dark matter, is the formation of a soliton core. We perform a Fisher matrix analysis to estimate the size of the soliton and the corresponding SIDM parameter space that future LISA-like gravitational wave experiments can explore. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Dynamics of dark matter misalignment through the Higgs portal

A light singlet scalar field feebly coupled through the super-renormalizable Higgs portal provides a minimal and well-motivated realization of ultra-light bosonic dark matter. We study the cosmological production of dark matter in this model by elucidating the dynamics of two sources of scalar field misalignment generated during the radiation era. For large scalar masses (above O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O} $$\\end{document}(10−3 eV)), dark matter is produced through thermal misalignment, by which the scalar field is driven towards large field values as a result of the finite-temperature effective potential. The dominance of thermal misalignment in this mass range leads to a sharp relic abundance prediction which is, to a significant extent, insensitive to the initial conditions of the scalar field. On the other hand, for low mass scalars (below O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O} $$\\end{document}(10−5 eV)), dark matter is produced via VEV misalignment, which is caused by the induced scalar field vacuum expectation value triggered by the electroweak phase transition. We show that the relic abundance in this low mass range is sensitive to the scalar field initial conditions. In the intermediate mass range, the relic abundance is a consequence of a competition between thermal misalignment and VEV misalignment, which can potentially lead to novel forced resonance effects which cause a recurring enhancement and suppression in the late time oscillation amplitude as a function of the scalar mass. We compare our relic abundance predictions with constraints and projections from equivalence principle and inverse square law tests, stellar cooling, resonant molecular absorption, and observations of extra-galactic background light and diffuse X-ray backgrounds. New experimental ideas are needed to probe most of the cosmologically motivated regions of parameter space.

Oscillations of atomic energy levels induced by QCD axion dark matter

Axion-gluon interaction induces quadratic couplings between the axion and the matter fields. We find that, if the axion is an ultralight dark matter field, it induces small oscillations of the mass of the hadrons as well as other nuclear quantities. As a result, atomic energy levels oscillate. We use currently available atomic spectroscopy data to constrain such axion-gluon coupling. We also project the sensitivities of future experiments, such as ones using molecular and nuclear clock transitions. We show that current and near-future experiments constrain a finely tuned parameter space of axion models. These can compete with or dominate the already-existing constraints from oscillating neutron electric dipole moment and supernova bound, in addition to those expected from near future magnetometer-based experiments. We also briefly discuss the reach of accelerometers and interferometers. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Refractive neutrino masses, ultralight dark matter and cosmology

We consider in detail a possibility that the observed neutrino oscillations are due to refraction on ultralight scalar boson dark matter.We introduce the refractive mass squared, m̃2, and study its properties: dependence on neutrino energy,state of the background, etc. If the background is in a state of cold gas of particles, m̃2 shows a resonance dependence on energy. Above the resonance (E ≫ ER ), we find that m̃2 has the same properties as usual vacuum mass squared.Below the resonance, m̃2 decreases with energy, which (if realised) allows to avoid the cosmological bound on the sum of neutrino masses. Also, m̃2 may depend on time. We consider the validity of the results: effects of multiple interactions with scalars, and modification of the dispersion relation. We show that for values of parameters of the system required toreproduce the observed neutrino masses, perturbativity is broken at low energies, which border above the resonance.If the background is in the state of coherent classical field, the refractive mass does not depend on energy explicitly but may showtime dependence. It coincides with the refractive mass in a cold gas at high energies.Refractive nature of neutrino mass can be tested by searches of its dependence on energy and time.

Frequency modulation of gravitational waves by ultralight scalar dark matter

Frequency modulation of gravitational waves by ultralight scalar dark matter

Mitigating anthropogenic and synanthropic noise in atom interferometer searches for ultralight dark matter

Mitigating anthropogenic and synanthropic noise in atom interferometer searches for ultralight dark matter

Gravitational interaction of ultralight dark matter with interferometers

Ultralight dark matter exhibits an order-one density fluctuation over the spatial scale of its wavelength. These fluctuations gravitationally interact with gravitational wave interferometers, leading to distinctive signals in detectors. We investigate the ultralight dark matter-induced effects in the gravitational wave interferometers. We perform a systematic computation of the power spectrum of ultralight dark matter in interferometers. We show that the ultralight dark matter-induced effect is most relevant for the interferometers with long baseline and that it is only a sub-leading effect compared to the estimated noise level in the case of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna or future interferometers with an arm-length comparable to a few astronomical units. Gravitational wave interferometers can then place upper limits on the ultralight dark matter density in the solar system. We find that, under certain assumptions, future interferometers with AU-scale arm-length might probe the dark matter density a few hundred times the local dark matter density, which is measured over a much larger spatial scale.

Interplay between black holes and ultralight dark matter: analytic solutions

Dark matter (DM) can consist of a scalar field so light that DM particles in the galactic halo are best described by classical waves. We investigate how these classical solutions are influenced by the presence of a non-rotating supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, using an analytical, albeit approximate, approach.Relying on this analytic control, we examine the consequences of imposing causal boundary conditions at the horizon, which are typically overlooked. First, we examine the scenario where the backreaction of dark matter can be neglected. The scalar field decays like a power law at large distances, thus endowing the black hole with “hair”. We derive solutions for the field profile over a wide range of parameters, including cases with rotating dark matter. As a by-product, we extract the dynamical Love numbers for scalar perturbations. Next, we determine the spectrum of bound states and their behaviour.Finally, we incorporate the self-gravity of the scalar field, with a focus on the situation where dark matter forms a soliton (boson star) at the center of the galaxy. We derive an analytical expression for the soliton at every distance from the center. With a solution that remains applicable even at horizon scales, we can reliably compute the accretion rate of the black hole.

Stochastic effects on observation of ultralight bosonic dark matter

Stochastic effects on observation of ultralight bosonic dark matter

Hellings-Downs curve deformed by ultralight vector dark matter

Hellings-Downs curve deformed by ultralight vector dark matter

The phenomenology of quadratically coupled ultra light dark matter

We discuss models of ultralight scalar Dark Matter (DM) with linear and quadratic couplings to the Standard Model (SM). In addition to studying the phenomenology of linear and quadratic interactions separately, we examine their interplay. We review the different experiments that can probe such interactions and present the current and expected future bounds on the parameter space. In particular, we discuss the scalar field solution presented in [A. Hees, O. Minazzoli, E. Savalle, Y. V. Stadnik and P. Wolf, Phys.Rev.D 98 (2018) 6, 064051], and extend it to theories that capture both the linear and the quadratic couplings of the Dark Matter (DM) field to the Standard Model (SM). Furthermore, we discuss the theoretical aspects and the corresponding challenges for natural models in which the quadratic interactions are of phenomenological importance.

Sensitivity of space-based gravitational-wave interferometers to ultralight bosonic fields and dark matter

Sensitivity of space-based gravitational-wave interferometers to ultralight bosonic fields and dark matter

Dark matter induced stellar oscillations

ABSTRACT It has been hypothesized that dark matter is comprised of ultra-light bosons whose collective phenomena can be described as a scalar field undergoing coherent oscillations. Examples include axion and fuzzy dark matter models. In this ultra-light dark matter (ULDM) scenario, the harmonic variation in the field’s energy–momentum tensor sources an oscillating component of the gravitational potential that we show can resonantly excite stellar oscillations. A mathematical framework for predicting the amplitude of these oscillations is developed, which reveals that ULDM predominantly excites p-modes of degree l = 1. An investigation of resonantly excited solar oscillations is presented, from which we conclude that dark matter induced oscillations of the Sun are likely undetectable. We discuss prospects for constraining ULDM using other stellar objects.

Sensitivity of ultralight axion dark matter search with optical quantum sensors

Sensitivity of ultralight axion dark matter search with optical quantum sensors

Pulsar timing residual induced by ultralight tensor dark matter

Ultralight boson fields, with a mass around 10-23 eV, are promising candidates for the elusive cosmological dark matter. These fields induce a periodic oscillation of the spacetime metric in the nanohertz frequency band, which is detectable by pulsar timing arrays. In this paper, we investigate the gravitational effect of ultralight tensor dark matter on the arrival time of radio pulses from pulsars. We find that the pulsar timing signal caused by tensor dark matter exhibits a different angular dependence than that by scalar and vector dark matter, making it possible to distinguish the ultralight dark matter signal with different spins. Combining the gravitational effect and the coupling effect of ultralight tensor dark matter with standard model matter provides a complementary way to constrain the coupling parameter α. We estimate α ≲ 10-6 ∼ 10-5 in the mass range m < 5 × 10-23 eV with current pulsar timing array.

Analysis of atomic-clock data to constrain variations of fundamental constants

We present a new framework to study the time variation of fundamental constants in a model-independent way. Model independence implies more free parameters than assumed in previous studies. Using data from atomic clocks based on 87Sr, 171Yb+ and 133Cs, we set bounds on parameters controlling the variation of the fine-structure constant, α, and the electron-to-proton mass ratio, µ. We consider variations on timescales ranging from a minute to almost a day. In addition, we use our results to derive some of the tightest limits to date on the parameter space of models of ultralight dark matter and axion-like particles.