Captured molecules could make a Bose star visible

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Bose stars passing through molecular clouds could capture matter, creating observable signatures such as excess heavy atoms and dust, potentially revealing dark matter structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel observational method to detect dark matter Bose stars via their gravitational capture of matter in molecular clouds.

Findings

Potential excess of heavy atoms and dust in molecular clouds due to Bose star capture

Captured matter's velocity may correlate with dark matter particle velocities

Proposes observational signatures for detecting dark matter Bose stars

Abstract

A Bose star passing through cold molecular clouds may capture atoms, molecules and dust particles. The observational signature of such an event would be a relatively small amount of matter that is gravitationally bound. This binding may actually be provided by invisible dark matter forming the Bose star. We may expect a relative excess of heavier atoms, molecules, and solid dust compared to the content of giant cold molecular clouds since the velocity of heavy particles at a given temperature is lower and it may be small compared to the escape velocity, $v_\mathrm{rms} = \sqrt{3k_\mathrm{B} T/m_\mathrm{gas}} \ll v_\mathrm{esc}=\sqrt{2GM/R}$. Finally, the velocity of this captured matter cloud may correlate with the expected velocity of free dark matter particles (e.g. expected axion wind velocity relative to Earth).