Could fresh lava be (warm) dark matter?

TL;DR

This paper humorously explores the unconventional idea that fresh lava could serve as a candidate for warm dark matter, based on its thermal and physical properties observed after volcanic eruptions.

Contribution

It introduces a playful analogy between fresh lava and warm dark matter, highlighting lava's thermal properties and persistence as a metaphor for dark matter characteristics.

Findings

Lava remains warm and retains temperature for months after eruption.

Lava is dark once decoupled from its source.

Lava exhibits free-streaming behavior similar to warm dark matter.

Abstract

Dark matter models can be classified according to their impact on the properties of galaxies, including cold dark matter (CDM), warm dark matter (WDM), self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) and fuzzy dark matter (FDM). In celebration of April Fool's Day, and also of the 1-year anniversary of the start of the 2022 volcanic eruption at Fagradalsfjall here in Iceland, we explore fresh lava as a candidate for WDM specifically. We verify first hand that lava is indeed warm (exhibits free-streaming and retains temperature for several months after the eruption ends, is 1000K, sets fire to grass, can feel one's eyebrows singe at a distance of 4m) and dark once sufficiently decoupled from its source of production.