Can dark matter induce cosmological evolution of the fundamental constants of Nature?
read the original abstract
We demonstrate that massive fields, such as dark matter, can directly produce a cosmological evolution of the fundamental constants of Nature. We show that a scalar or pseudoscalar (axion-like) dark matter field $\phi$, which forms a coherently oscillating classical field and interacts with Standard Model particles via quadratic couplings in $\phi$, produces `slow' cosmological evolution and oscillating variations of the fundamental constants. We derive limits on the quadratic interactions of $\phi$ with the photon, electron and light quarks from measurements of the primordial $^4$He abundance produced during Big Bang nucleosynthesis and recent atomic dysprosium spectroscopy measurements. These limits improve on existing constraints by up to 15 orders of magnitude. We also derive limits on the previously unconstrained linear and quadratic interactions of $\phi$ with the massive vector bosons from measurements of the primordial $^4$He abundance.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 5 Pith papers
-
Is the Conventional Picture of Coherence Time Complete? Dark Matter Recoherence
Ultralight dark matter exhibits recoherence due to the solar gravitational potential, yielding formally divergent coherence times at long timescales and enhanced search sensitivity.
-
Stellar Superradiance and Low-Energy Absorption in Dense Nuclear Media
Collective nucleon scattering in neutron-star matter suppresses the effective absorption of ultralight bosons at the long wavelengths relevant for superradiance, weakening the link between stellar cooling bounds and s...
-
Towards theory constraints on ultralight dark matter from quantum gravity
In asymptotically safe gravity, dimension-five couplings of ultralight scalar dark matter to gauge field strengths vanish and are not generated perturbatively.
-
$\phi$-Dwarfs: White Dwarfs probe Quadratically Coupled Scalars
White dwarf mass-radius data exclude large parameter space for ultralight scalars quadratically coupled to fermions by predicting forbidden radius gaps and mass shifts toward the Chandrasekhar limit or altered maximum masses.
-
Self-Interaction Bounds on Ultralight Dark Matter Couplings to Matter
Self-interaction bounds from cosmology constrain ultralight dark matter couplings to neutrinos, electrons, and light quarks via unavoidable quantum loop corrections.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.