Probing light dark matter particles with astrophysical experiments

TL;DR

This paper investigates how astrophysical measurements can constrain ultralight axions and gauge bosons, potential dark matter candidates, by analyzing orbital and light-bending observations with implications for beyond Standard Model physics.

Contribution

It introduces new bounds on ultralight axion and gauge boson parameters using astrophysical data, linking dark matter candidates to observable gravitational phenomena.

Findings

Constraints on ultralight axion mass and decay constant.

Bounds on $U(1)_{L_ au-L_ au}$ gauge bosons from binary systems.

Limits on $U(1)_{L_e-L_{ au}}$ gauge bosons from perihelion precession.

Abstract

The evidence of gravitational wave was first indirectly confirmed by the orbital period loss of Hulse-Taylor binary system which agrees well with the Einstein's general relativistic prediction. The perihelion precession of planets, gravitational light bending and Shapiro time delay are other tests of Einstein's general theory of relativity. However there are small uncertainties in the measurements of those observations from the general relativistic prediction. To account those uncertainties, we propose radiation of ultralight axions and vector gauge boson particles in the context of $U(1)^\prime$ extended beyond standard model scenario. We obtain constraints on ultralight axion parameters (axion mass and decay constant) from the observational uncertainties of orbital period loss of compact binary systems, gravitational light bending, Shapiro time delay and birefringence phenomena. We also obtain the bounds on ultralight $U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ gauge bosons from the orbital period loss of compact binary systems. The uncertainties in the perihelion precession of planets also put bounds on the $U(1)_{L_e-L_{\mu,\tau}}$ light gauge bosons. These light particles can be promising candidates of fuzzy dark matter which can be probed from the above precision measurements.