New upper limits on ultralight axion dark matter fraction (<1.5% at 10^{-26} eV, <9% at 10^{-25} eV at 95% CL) from combined CMB lensing data, plus marginal 2.1σ preference at 10^{-24.5} eV driven by few points.
Canonical reference
A search for ultra-light axions using precision cosmological data
Canonical reference. 100% of citing Pith papers cite this work as background.
abstract
Ultra-light axions (ULAs) with masses in the range 10^{-33} eV <m <10^{-20} eV are motivated by string theory and might contribute to either the dark-matter or dark-energy density of the Universe. ULAs could suppress the growth of structure on small scales, or lead to an enhanced integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect on large-scale cosmic microwave-background (CMB) anisotropies. In this work, cosmological observables over the full ULA mass range are computed, and then used to search for evidence of ULAs using CMB data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), Planck satellite, Atacama Cosmology Telescope, and South Pole Telescope, as well as galaxy clustering data from the WiggleZ galaxy-redshift survey. In the mass range 10^{-32} eV < m <10^{-25.5} eV, the axion relic-density \Omega_{a} (relative to the total dark-matter relic density \Omega_{d}) must obey the constraints \Omega_{a}/\Omega_{d} < 0.05 and \Omega_{a}h^{2} < 0.006 at 95%-confidence. For m> 10^{-24} eV, ULAs are indistinguishable from standard cold dark matter on the length scales probed, and are thus allowed by these data. For m < 10^{-32} eV, ULAs are allowed to compose a significant fraction of the dark energy.
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Naive nonlinear modelling of non-cold matter produces an artificial preference for a subdominant ultralight axion dark matter component at m ≈ 10^{-24} eV via a lensing-like enhancement in the CMB power spectrum.
MUST is a planned 6.5m Stage-V spectroscopic survey telescope targeting 100M+ galaxies and quasars to z~5.5 for large-scale structure cosmology studies.
CMB polarization rotation can arise as a frequency-independent Pancharatnam phase when photons cross dark-sector vacuum interfaces, with no ultralight axion required.
Global cosmic strings from symmetry breaking produce Nambu-Goldstone bosons whose cosmological signatures can be constrained by current and upcoming CMB and large-scale structure observations.
Fisher forecasts indicate joint post-reionization LSS cross-spectra and CMB-S4-like data can reach O(10^{-4}) uncertainty on ultra-light axion fraction for m_a ≲ 10^{-28} eV, with peak sensitivity near 10^{-25} eV.
Review summarizing radio searches for WIMP and ALP dark matter with SKA precursors and forecasts for SKA-Low and SKA-Mid telescopes.
A mini-review of axion phenomenology showing how light bosons can account for dark matter, drive cosmic acceleration, or contribute to relativistic backgrounds in the early and late Universe.
citing papers explorer
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The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Probing new signatures of ultralight axions with gravitational lensing
New upper limits on ultralight axion dark matter fraction (<1.5% at 10^{-26} eV, <9% at 10^{-25} eV at 95% CL) from combined CMB lensing data, plus marginal 2.1σ preference at 10^{-24.5} eV driven by few points.
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Ultra-light axion constraints from Planck and ACT: the role of nonlinear modelling
Naive nonlinear modelling of non-cold matter produces an artificial preference for a subdominant ultralight axion dark matter component at m ≈ 10^{-24} eV via a lensing-like enhancement in the CMB power spectrum.
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MUltiplexed Survey Telescope (MUST) Science White Paper I: Overview of Large-Scale Structure Cosmology in the Era of Stage-V Spectroscopic Surveys
MUST is a planned 6.5m Stage-V spectroscopic survey telescope targeting 100M+ galaxies and quasars to z~5.5 for large-scale structure cosmology studies.
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CMB Birefringence from Vacuum Interfaces
CMB polarization rotation can arise as a frequency-independent Pancharatnam phase when photons cross dark-sector vacuum interfaces, with no ultralight axion required.
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Echoes of Global Cosmic Strings
Global cosmic strings from symmetry breaking produce Nambu-Goldstone bosons whose cosmological signatures can be constrained by current and upcoming CMB and large-scale structure observations.
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Tracing Ultra Light Axions in Post-reionization, Lyman-$\alpha$ and CMB Missions
Fisher forecasts indicate joint post-reionization LSS cross-spectra and CMB-S4-like data can reach O(10^{-4}) uncertainty on ultra-light axion fraction for m_a ≲ 10^{-28} eV, with peak sensitivity near 10^{-25} eV.
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Probing the Fundamental Nature of Particle Dark Matter
Review summarizing radio searches for WIMP and ALP dark matter with SKA precursors and forecasts for SKA-Low and SKA-Mid telescopes.
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Axions as Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Dark Radiation
A mini-review of axion phenomenology showing how light bosons can account for dark matter, drive cosmic acceleration, or contribute to relativistic backgrounds in the early and late Universe.
- Lyman-$\alpha$ forest constraints on pure and mixed fuzzy dark matter
- Yukawa-Screened Bose-Star Condensation